The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-26
CONTINUED from Page Nine.)

published laws in three tongues against
the magics practiced against life and
| soul. The fear of the law is great,
and informers prosper so that all of
Hawaiian blood look askance on the
too curious haole. Therefore the fool
ish fear written on Policeman No. 56s
dark face. I scowled at him.
II make no pilikia Ttrouble] for
babies" I said shortly. What have I
to do with ehiid's kahuna? I only
hope she may find her papa"
I took my cogitations to Bill that
night after the paper was in the press.
He frowned as I explained what I knew
about the matter, and allowed a shovel
full of coral to fall SO awkwardly that
il upset car and resulted in tremen-
dous language from the bans. He pick
ed up his bucket with a jerk, brought
the boom into midstream with a jolt
that made every beam in the dredge
creak. and then, as the milky water
foamed over the showers descent, mutt
tered something which I did not I'M
derstand.
So carried my question to Brennan,
who was more communicative.
1.-The man quit the woman after the
kid was born" he said. THE woman's
pretty nearly white and she went pu-
pule when he sent letter back from
the Coast with five dollars in it and
his goodbye. You can see her down
at every steamer with a wreath for
him when he comes back She thinks
he's coming back. That's the mischief
of it. She's quite crazy, you see; she
probably wouldn't know him. The baby
hears her mothers talk and knows she's
sick. So she's sticking bananas and
bottles of perfume out on the reef for
the fairies for a kahuna SO they'll bring
her papa back"
But Bill, when 1 returned to him
little later, only muttered, Cant you
let the kid alone?"
Look here" I protested, Tim not
going to interfere with the child. Any
way, what about the Miss Minnies as
she calls 'em?"
"They live in the coral he answered
sulkily. "They come out nights. The
kid thinks were blowing up the fairies
homes here and that's why she's so
busy trying to soothe them down. This
is a rotten job, anyway. Why can't the
old government let the reef alone?"
Later Bill sought me out in my cot
Just thought I'd come and say how do
you do he commented You know I
thought you'd like to know about the
kahuna."
Has it worked?" I asked quickly.
He avoided the question. You said
the baby said Miss Minnie Mipps'
That's her little mix-up of names. The
mans name was Mipps. She's got
things tangled in her little head" He
stopped, dawdled over pipe for a
quarter of an hour, and left as abrupt
ly as be had come.
Two nights later Brennan telephoned
me. Better come down when the
papers out" he said. Were going to
set off a big shot. and you'll see some
pretty work Come before the moon
SETS
/ promised and in due time walked
past wilder's wharf and to the bank
of the deep pool where the dredge lay
waiting for the blasts. Brennan re-
ceived me with open arms, In great
jubilation over what he termed gilt
edged shot that would loosen enough
coral to keep the dredge busy for a
fortnight. Bill sulked on his perch and
refused to rejoice in explosives.
AS the preparations progressed and
the moon settled we all grew quiet
The men working over the wires along
the bank made little noise. Brennan
splashed around with anxious intensity,
and Bill gloomed in the dredge. At last
all was in readiness, and the dredge
was backed down to the limit OF its
moorings. Brennan disappeared into his
little shed, and the dummy backed its
long train of empties into the town.
The trimmers scurried with their
spades into the broken coral about the
reef, and I obeyed Bills gesture and
crouched down behind the heel of the
big boom.
AS l rested my aching eyes from
prolonged stare down toward Brennan's
shed for the first little flash that was
to announce the closed switch, | look
ed over the white reef. 1t stretched
out like the abandoned scene of some
great upheaval. The moonlight threw
vast shadows athwart its mystic field,
and deep in that faint radiance I sud-
denly discerned a small. toddling figure
in a white nightie. I rubbed my eyes.
/ saw it again. and my cry rose shrilly
in my own ears as I thrust my arm
out wildly toward it. Bill dropped from
his seat among the levers. His eyes