“Now, that you have seen our island-home, what do you think of it?”
inquired Mabel of Captain Harris, of the Eliza Judd. “Do you not think
it a most delightful place?”
“Well, I can’t say as I would like to live here the rest of my days
myself; but of course it’s all right for them that like it,” answered
Captain Harris.
“Oh, it is so lovely here. I cannot imagine a pleasanter place in the
world.”
“Is that so, now? but all seem mighty glad to go away from it all the
same. How do you account for that, young lady?”
“We are not all glad to leave. There are some of our party who will not
go, but will always make their home on this island, and I should not
leave it, were it not for my father; but I feel it my duty to go back to
see him.”
“Come, girls,” said Captain Gray, “have you said good-bye to all your
friends? It’s about time we left for the cove. Come, Ahleka, we may as
well start, for, to tell the truth, I am in something of a hurry to get
off.”
The party soon left for the other side of the island, where the boats
were waiting for them. On the way over to the boats Etta managed to have
a few private words with Uala. Arriving at the beach, Uala went to
Captain Gray and said, “Captain Gray, your daughter and I have long
loved one another, but we have forborne to speak until to-day, as we had
hoped, in time, that you would reverse your decision that she should not
marry on Kaahlanai. Now we beg your consent to our union. I will go to
America and will study that I may be more her equal. Will you not
consent?”
Captain Gray’s face was fairly purple with rage as he answered, “No, you
black rascal, I would rather see her die before my eyes than have her
marry you.”
Etta clung closely to Uala, saying, “And I would rather die than be
parted from Uala.”
Uala’s manner quickly changed, and turning again to Captain Gray, he
said, “I bow to your right, as a father, but if I must give up all
thought of Etta, may I at least ask a few moments conversation with her,
a few steps apart from the rest, that I may say good-bye to her
forever.”
Captain Gray could but grant this request, which was so humbly made. The
two walked a short distance down the rocky side of the cove to a place
where there was a most curious cave, called by the islanders ama wai, or
spouting waters, on account of its peculiar formation. The mouth lay
deep beneath the bed of the sea and there was an outlet reaching up to
where they stood. Through this outlet came the spray of the boiling,
seething waters, which rushed madly through the cave below. As they
stood on the brink of this cave, in full view of Captain Gray, and the
group gathered on the beach, Uala, whose strong, wild nature was moved
by the distant sobbing and roaring of the surf, bent over Etta,
whispering in her ear: “You said, a short time ago, you would rather die
than be separated from me; do you mean it?”
“I do,” came the response.
“Then, we shall go together to the bottom of this cave where dwells the
sea god,” saying which he threw one strong, sinewy arm about her
yielding form, and, with one wild plunge both were lost to view beneath
the surging, seething mass of water. They had hardly disappeared beneath
the engulfing waves before Captain Gray was at the mouth of the cave,
calling upon the name of his daughter.
About an hour afterwards Captain Harris approached Captain Gray and
said: “Captain Gray, if you are going with us, we will have to set out
for the vessel right away. I hate to intrude on your sorrow for the loss
of your daughter, but, if we are going to get away from the island
to-night, we have got to weigh anchor right off, for I daren’t stay long
in this neighborhood, for, as you know it’s a devilish place for storms
and I’ll be mighty glad to get clear of these coral reefs, which are
very pretty things to look at from the shore, with the breakers dashing
over them; but they are deucedly ugly things for a vessel to be too
close to, and you know how very treacherous the winds are in these
parts. If we stay much longer we may be dashed, like a bit of drift
wood, clean upon that ragged reef. Will you come with us, or will you
stay that you may, perhaps, regain the body of your daughter?”
Captain Gray turned toward him with a face horribly changed in the last
brief hour, and answered in a dazed manner, “Yes, I will go. I want to
leave this place that has robbed me of my child. Why, oh why have I been
made to witness the awful death of each member of my family? Yes, I want
to leave this accursed island,” saying which he walked slowly away from
the cave, where Etta and Uala had sunk from sight, and accompanied
Captain Harris to the boat, in which Mabel was already seated.
The farewells were loving and sorrowful between the departing loved ones
and those they were leaving behind. About the necks, upon the heads and
around the waists of Ahleka and Mabel had been placed many a fragrant
leis, or wreath, wrought by loving hands.
“Good-bye, Allen, my brother. May the sun of happiness never be dimmed
for you and Maula, my sister. May your lives be as a day in the time of
the blossoming of the fiku-trees, which are so perfect as to leave
nothing to be longed for. May your children be as straight as young
palm-trees, and as unchangeable in their devotion to their parents, as
is the pearl, which, through life or death clings to the oyster which
produces it. Now that I am leaving my people, you two will rule over
them. Govern them with love, and that love will be returned to you a
thousand fold. Our sister, Kaelea, I give into your keeping until the
next festival, when she, under your guidance, shall rule her people,”
saying which, Ahleka embraced Allen and Kaelea for the last time, then
stepped into the boat which was to bear him to new sensations and
strange experiences amidst civilization. As the boat pulled off to the
Eliza Judd, a sweet song of sad regret was borne over the water to the
travellers. Of the seven who had landed on this happy shore three years
before, only three were now leaving, Captain Gray, Mabel Miller and Hans
who was going back to his dear loving wife whom he loved so devotedly,
and to his fat, little cherub, Katrina.
“Ah, Katrina, won’t she be glad to see her papa again, though;” how
often, during that happy day, did this thought occur to Hans. The other
two sailors had found the ideal life of Kaahlanai too pleasant to leave.
Allen was true to his word to his father and his love for his beautiful
wife Maula; in fact, he had not the slightest longing to again visit the
realms of civilization. Then Etta, bright, happy Etta, was beneath the
waves of the ever changing sea.
When the Eliza Judd had received her new-found passengers, she seemed to
arouse herself from a summer day’s sleep, and give herself a shake to
see if she were really awake, for no sooner was the boat hoisted to the
davits then the sails were swiftly unfurled, and, as they quickly filled
with the fresh breeze, the Eliza Judd stood out to sea, like a bird that
has been imprisoned, spreads its wings and starts on its glad flight to
freedom. This majestic vessel, going noiselessly on her way, was a sight
that aroused the wonder and admiration of the watchers on the beach.