whilst he steered, for the night was dark and he, clever stealer of
women as he was, did not know the passage out through the reef, and
trusted to those with him who knew but little more. Then something came
into my mind, and I took Solepa's hand in mine.

"'I will save thee from this pig Franka,' I said quickly, 'he shall
never take thee away. Sit ye here with Sipi, and when ye hear the
schooner strike, spring ye both into the sea and swim towards the two
islands which are near.'

"In the centre of the deck cabin was a hatch which led into the hold.
There was no deck between, for the vessel was but small. I took my knife
from the sheath and then lifted the hatch, descended, and crawled
forward in the darkness to the fore hatch, up which I crept very
carefully, for I had much in my mind. I saw a man standing up, holding
on to the fore stay. He was calling out to Franka every now and then,
telling him how to steer. I sprang up behind him, and as I drove my
knife into his back with my left hand, I struck him with my right on his
neck and he fell overboard. He was a white man, I think for when my
knife went into his back he called out 'Oh Christ!' But then many native
men who have mixed with white people call out 'Oh, Christ,' just like
white men when they are drunk. Anyway, it does not matter now.

"But as I struck my knife into him, I called out in English to put the
helm hard down, for I saw that the schooner was very near the reef on
the starboard hand. Franka, who was at the wheel, at once obeyed and was
fooled, for the schooner, which was now leaping and singing to the
strong night wind from the mountains smote suddenly upon the coral reef
with a noise like the felling of a great forest tree, and began to grind
and tear her timbers.