The God of Civilization: A RomancePittock, M. A., Mrs.
General
The God of Civilization: A Romance
Pittock, M. A., Mrs.
Dime novels; Love stories; Oceania -- Description and travel -- Fiction
“We are not all glad to leave. There are some of our party who will not
go, but will always make their home on this island, and I should not
leave it, were it not for my father; but I feel it my duty to go back to
see him.”
“Come, girls,” said Captain Gray, “have you said good-bye to all your
friends? It’s about time we left for the cove. Come, Ahleka, we may as
well start, for, to tell the truth, I am in something of a hurry to get
off.”
The party soon left for the other side of the island, where the boats
were waiting for them. On the way over to the boats Etta managed to have
a few private words with Uala. Arriving at the beach, Uala went to
Captain Gray and said, “Captain Gray, your daughter and I have long
loved one another, but we have forborne to speak until to-day, as we had
hoped, in time, that you would reverse your decision that she should not
marry on Kaahlanai. Now we beg your consent to our union. I will go to
America and will study that I may be more her equal. Will you not
consent?”
Captain Gray’s face was fairly purple with rage as he answered, “No, you
black rascal, I would rather see her die before my eyes than have her
marry you.”
Etta clung closely to Uala, saying, “And I would rather die than be
parted from Uala.”
Uala’s manner quickly changed, and turning again to Captain Gray, he
said, “I bow to your right, as a father, but if I must give up all
thought of Etta, may I at least ask a few moments conversation with her,
a few steps apart from the rest, that I may say good-bye to her
forever.”
Captain Gray could but grant this request, which was so humbly made. The
two walked a short distance down the rocky side of the cove to a place
where there was a most curious cave, called by the islanders ama wai, or
spouting waters, on account of its peculiar formation. The mouth lay
deep beneath the bed of the sea and there was an outlet reaching up to
where they stood. Through this outlet came the spray of the boiling,
seething waters, which rushed madly through the cave below. As they
stood on the brink of this cave, in full view of Captain Gray, and the
group gathered on the beach, Uala, whose strong, wild nature was moved
by the distant sobbing and roaring of the surf, bent over Etta,
whispering in her ear: “You said, a short time ago, you would rather die
than be separated from me; do you mean it?”
“I do,” came the response.
“Then, we shall go together to the bottom of this cave where dwells the
sea god,” saying which he threw one strong, sinewy arm about her
yielding form, and, with one wild plunge both were lost to view beneath
the surging, seething mass of water. They had hardly disappeared beneath
the engulfing waves before Captain Gray was at the mouth of the cave,
calling upon the name of his daughter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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