England -- Fiction; Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction; Mystery fiction
Still holding the reins with one hand, Tera seized Rachel's wrist with
the other, and held her to her seat. "I will not let you," she said
fiercely; "if you try to go, I will tell Tolai to kill you. Be quiet!
Listen! I tell you this to save your Herbert. But I do not want to be
shut up in prison. Now Jack has the money, he will sail away. I go
also, and when I am away, you can tell the truth."
"No one will believe me."
"Oh!" said Tera, who had lately learned the value of written
statements, "I will write out all I tell you, and sign it Bithiah,
Tera, what you will. Then I sail away, and no one will shut me up. Now
you can go"--she pulled up the horse with a jerk--"but do not speak
yet. If you do, I will say you--you will be sorry--that's all. Wait
till I give you the paper and sail away with my dear Jack, You hear?"
"Yes, yes," said Rachel, her teeth chattering with fright at this
exhibition of Tera's savagery. "I will say nothing--not a word!"
"Good! You can go, then. I drive on to Grimleigh, and go on board the
schooner, where I shall be safe. I shall not return, and the trap I
will leave to some one to take back."
Rachel, trembling violently, scrambled down as best she could. In her
terror she believed that Tera might order Tolai to kill her. It was a
strange experience to be at the mercy of two bloodthirsty savages on a
quiet English road. Without a word she picked up her skirts and ran
back, only anxious to get safely home. Tera burst into a jeering laugh
at her manifest cowardice, then drove on at full speed to Grimleigh.
Not until she was safe on board the schooner, with Jack beside her,
would she feel secure. The laws in England were scarcely so lax as
those in Koiau, and she could not presume on her rank as a chief's
daughter in this land of the haolis (whites). After all, Tera had no
reason to jeer at Rachel. In a different way she was just as great a
coward. She did not fear death in itself, but she dreaded lest
anything should part her from Jack.
On arriving at the jetty, Tera carried out the programme which she had
explained to Rachel. The _Dayspring_ was anchored some distance out
stream, so she hired a boat, and made Tolai, who was a brawny
Polynesian Samson, carry the precious box of gold to it. Then she
handed over the horse and trap to a fisherman she knew, and gave
him half-a-crown to take it round to the Anchor Hotel, whence a
stable-hand could drive it back to Bethdagon. In making these
arrangements Tera displayed considerable mother-wit. She was quick in
looking after her own interests.
In ten minutes, more or less, the boat was alongside the _Dayspring_,
and Jack, with considerable amazement, looked over the taffrail.
"Hullo, Tera!" he cried, "anything wrong?"
"No. All is right, Jack. Get this box on board, and take it to your
cabin at once. Is Captain Jacob here?" she added, as Jack helped her
up the side.
"Gone ashore. Do you want to see him?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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