away to Malaita. This had given him a glimpse of a profitable future, in
which his village would serve as the one depot on the underground railway
between Berande and Malaita.

Unfortunately, he was ignorant of the ways of white men. This particular
white man educated him by arriving at his grass house in the gray of
dawn. In the first moment he had felt amused. He was so perfectly safe
in the midst of his village. But the next moment, and before he could
cry out, a pair of handcuffs on the white man's knuckles had landed on
his mouth, knocking the cry of alarm back down his throat. Also, the
white man's other fist had caught him under the ear and left him without
further interest in what was happening. When he came to, he found
himself in the white man's whale-boat on the way to Berande. At Berande
he had been treated as one of no consequence, with handcuffs on hands and
feet, to say nothing of chains. When his tribe had returned the three
runaways, he was given his freedom. And finally, the terrible white man
had fined him and Balesuna village ten thousand cocoanuts. After that he
had sheltered no more runaway Malaita men. Instead, he had gone into the
business of catching them. It was safer. Besides, he was paid one case
of tobacco per head. But if he ever got a chance at that white man, if
he ever caught him sick or stood at his back when he stumbled and fell on
a bush-trail--well, there would be a head that would fetch a price in
Malaita.

Sheldon was pleased with what Seelee told him. The seventh man of the
last batch of runaways had been caught and was even then at the gate. He
was brought in, heavy-featured and defiant, his arms bound with cocoanut
sennit, the dry blood still on his body from the struggle with his
captors.