The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-03-09

filed and sank from under them, drawn
down by her load, leaving the three
floating on the agitated sea with only
one paddle. which Manae held. Nina
Nina had swung her baby over her back,
and his little round head, like a cocoanut,
peeped well forth from the water as his
mother struck out by the side Of her hus-
band for the shore under Koko head.
Although this lay fully two leagues
away, there was nothing in the situation
greatly to disconcert a Hawaiian family.
If only the young husband had been in
his proper strength, he would have shift
ed the baby 70 his own shoulders. and
side by side, while the sea grew quiet
again, they would have managed to make
their long swim to land if no shark in
tercepted them. For any one less famil-
lar with the open ocean than these is
landers no doubt it would have been
dreadful plight Even from boat the
wide and naked face of the sea appears
terrible in its spread and fatness. The
long. huge, ponderous swell Of it, which
you did not notice from the deck of the
ship or steamer, gives new and awful
impression of its elemental weight and
bulk.
Even in the quietest weather there is
a throb of solid motion in the shining
surface which drops small boat into
vast, shallow valleys and again lifts it
upon the breast of gradual but far
reaching slopes, and the very peace of
the sleeping element becomes dreadful.
But when a swimmer beats the salt sea
far from land or help, his chin upon its
shining top. his eyes just level with the
long glitter of the surface, the vastness
and baroness and deadliness of it become
to all but the hardest absolutely terri
BILE.
There is no man who, swimming in the
ocean, has not experienced even when he
had safety close at hand that irresistible
horror at the littleness of his powers and
at the largeness of the chilly death lap
ping and washing all around him, before
and behind, and right and left. as far
away on every quarter as to where the
sky comes down to the sea. And it is
worse when he thinks Of the deep abyss
Of liquid beneath his feeble fetal
though, for the matter of that, seven feet
of water win choke the life from
wearied swimmer as well as 1000 IA
thoms of the mid-Pacifc.
Actual death by drowning is probably.
like most other forms of dying, not at
all painful, but never does death appear
more visible and dreadful than when
you look along the face of the sea, strug-
Cling with its waters for every breath
that is drawn and every yard that is
won. while the dance of the brine wash
es over the lips and nostrils and filings
its bitter menace into the blinded eyes.
Mina-Mina soon found that her man
could not keep the baby's head and his
own at the same time above the water.
The little brown imp was nevertheless
laughing and Growing at the sparkling
waves without any fear or trouble. and
when she drew him down beside her in
the sea and let him paddle for cables
length or SO the tiny castaway swan like
a small fish, and all three were making
fair progress. In the moment of the can
size they had fallen into the sea of
course fully clothed, but both had since
loosened and cast aside in the water
their garments of tapa for freer swim
ming. although Mina-Mina still retained
her waist band, in which she kept her
fishing knife.
The ocean was quoted down again
after the sudden blast, and it was not
to rest sometimes by floating
the wife holding up their small compan-
ion. Only this would not do for any LONG
time together, because a current was run.
ming before the light trade wind and they
might drift too far to reach the land at
last.
Presently Mina-Minas bright ewes per
ceive upon the water to the right on her
husbands side dark edge moving slow.
ly, like blade of black seaweed tilted
up.
"Oh, Mokuhalii (great god of the fish
help us now" she cried. HE kokua.
helpl Here is he mano, the sharkr
Your amakua is the great fish. He
will not hurt you, wife. but he will take
me or the little one."
Being of the fish gods line. she was
taboo to sharks, ard they to her. and to
injure the butcher of the deep was for.
hidden to her, for there is plenty of
ancient belief still among them in spite
of the missionaries. But now she was
thinking only of her husband and her
baby, and superstition fed to the winds
for the dear sake of those she loved. OF
all examples of similar religious courage
in Hawaiian women none is better
known than that of Paplolani. the
daughter of the chief of Hilo, who broke
the spell Of Pele, the goddess of the
great volcano, eating the sacred berries
Of the dreaded goddess and fiinring
stones into the seething. fiery crater of
Mauna Loa, thereby converting the
people from their ancient fears. But
that is another story"
BEAT hard upon the water. HeLunai
Masterl Beat when he comes near and
keep him a little off, will kill NV an
makual Otherwise will he eat my pre-
cious SON."
AT any other moment these words
would have seemed too impious to hear
or pronounce. Now, however the on.
feebled and weary husband could only
sign silent assent and put his elbow mn.
der the childs arm. VILE Nina Nina
drew her knife from her belt and held il
in her pearllike teeth, silently padding
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