The midshipmen gazed in wonder at the sudden interruption. They saw the consul present a paper to the king, who quietly read it, then bowed his affirmative answer. “A reprieve,” Phil exclaimed. “I’m glad of it, and I’ll never go to another hanging.” Both suddenly laughed nervously. They were glad in their young hearts that the murderer was not to expiate his crime on the gallows. A talking man rose to tell the people. The midshipmen could not understand a word, but the effect upon the crowd showed the news was to their liking. Suddenly several voices were raised in song; slowly the volume increased until every native had joined in. It was a song of praise for Herzovinia. “A play for popularity,” Sydney said disgustedly as they moved away toward the road and back to the landing. “And another step toward annexation.” CHAPTER XVI CARL KLINGER Avao appeared at the consulate one morning a few days after the count’s Siva-Siva dance, her black eyes bright with indignation. “See,” she exclaimed as she handed to Alice a sheet of paper on which was printed a dozen or more lines. Alice read slowly, the color mounting to her cheeks and her breath coming faster. “They have confiscated all of Tuamana’s land,” she exclaimed, “and branded him a rebel to the king. This is the official notice posted about the town.” Phil, in spite of the evident seriousness of this act to the native girl, could not suppress a smile. “Kind of mixed up affair, isn’t it?” he said quietly. “Rebel Kataafa brands the loyal Tuamana a rebel.” “This is Klinger’s work,” Alice declared. “The land is most valuable, cocoanut and banana groves, and worth a dollar a tree every year for the copra alone. There must be over a thousand trees on the land. It’s a fortune, and it is all that Tuamana’s family possesses.” “Can nothing be done?” Sydney asked solicitously. “Where is it located?” “Let’s go and look it over,” Phil suggested, “if it isn’t far away.” The horses were quickly saddled and the four were soon on the way to visit the family estate of Tuamana, chief of Ukula. It was near the sea beach, to the eastward of Matautu. As they approached the cocoanut grove they beheld a number of black boys[35] running barbed wire through new fence pales, recently set up. “They are fencing it off already,” Alice exclaimed as they halted their ponies. Avao pushed her pony across the wire that had not as yet been stretched, calling to the others to follow. Very soon they arrived in front of a very large native house. Several women sitting within quickly arose and greeted them. Avao talked with them for several minutes. “My relatives say that Missi Klinger has ordered them to move their house; that it is on the Kapuan firm’s property,” Avao said, her voice breaking in mortified anger. They had all dismounted and several of the native men had climbed trees to gather fresh cocoanuts for their visitors.