"Schmidt do that yesterday," she went on. "Me like kill him, but too much 'fraid! Before, me think him good man. My father white man--same you. Me, my mother, live Ponape, Caroline Island. One day Cholita come--everybody think Schmidt good man--spend plenty money--have good time. Every day he come my house. By and by he say: 'To-morrow I go 'way; you my friend--give me orange, pig, drinking-coconut. To-night you bring old woman aboard--we have big _kaikai_.' My mother think he good man--we go. Schmidt bring us aboard schooner--we eat, play accordion, have good time. Pretty soon hear noise on deck. My mother stand up. 'What that?' she say. Then Kwala hold old woman--Schmidt throw me in stateroom--lock door. Outside reef he throw my mother in canoe--tell her go ashore. Porthole open--me hear old woman crying--Guk! Schmidt never let me go ashore. In Tahiti--Noumea--me 'fraid--he say suppose me swim ashore, send police fetch." Her quick ear caught the sound of a footstep on deck and she signaled me hurriedly to move away. Next moment Schmidt came down the companionway, glancing at the woman sharply. Without a word he motioned me into the stateroom, slammed the door behind me, and turned the key. I heard Raita's voice raised in protest, and the captain's gruff reply. Then the companionway creaked under his weight as he went on deck again. Until now I had viewed the Cholita and her master in an adventurous light; but as I lay there in the dark behind a locked door I began to feel anxious and a little afraid. Little by little, as realization grows at such a time, I put together the scattered recollections in my mind: what my uncle had said of Schmidt; the half-caste girl's story; the presence aboard the Cholita of Rairi, our former cook; the old letter, telling of the gold-lipped shell in Iriatai lagoon; Rairi's stealthy visit to the Tara after his discharge; Schmidt's treatment of me; Marama's words, and the brutal stopping of our conversation. There was small room for doubt--each detail fitted perfectly into the story taking form in my mind.