And just then Long Tom on the yacht bellowed his tremendous note, and the brown men looked round apprehensively. "That is my big canoe speaking," said Blair. "But it is only a warning. It can strike as hard as it talks. Will you save trouble by coming, Maru?" "I will not go." "Then we shall come for you. I am sorry; but the wrong-doing is yours.... Let no man lift his hand, or worse will follow," he said, as a restless movement rustled among them. Then eyeing them steadily, he passed through, not sure at what moment axe or club might fall on his head. But so high was his look that no man, even of those he had passed, found courage for the blow, and he walked down to the beach alone. "I'm mighty glad to see you back whole," said Cathie, as Blair swung up on deck. "I saw their clubs through the glass, and I misdoubted them. They wouldn't come?" "No, they wouldn't come, so I promised to fetch them. Now we'll get on, captain. First to land our passengers on Kapaa'a, and then as we decided last night." Ha'o and the rest were mightily surprised at the size of the _Torch's_ company. But the chief jumped to Blair's views at once. "You will soon become a nation at this rate, Ha'o." "I will deal well with them," said Ha'o. "And now as to the men of Kanele?" "We will make an end of them." "I want them as part of your nation, and dead men are no use. If we go in force enough, I do not think they will fight. But they have broken the peace, and they must have a lesson." "We will teach them with the spear. It will be a lesson for the others also. When shall we start?" "The sooner the better; but first we must see the newcomers housed." That took two days, and then the _Torch_ and the _Jean Arnot_ sailed with larger crews than they were in the habit of carrying. First round the other islands, at each of which Blair and Ha'o landed and had a talk with the headmen and explained their ideas to them. And much hard talking it took, in some cases, to carry their views. But they were set on it, and they prevailed. From each village they enlisted the headman and certain of his followers, from six to ten, according to the population, and in due course came down on Kanele one hundred and fifty brown men and eighteen whites, with Long Tom in reserve, and great hopes that so large a display would suffice without any fighting. All the boats on Kapaa'a had been requisitioned for the debarkation, and it was an imposing flotilla that drew in to Kanele beach that day to bring peace at the point of the spear. And, composed, as the gathering was, of the most discordant elements, it was yet all moulded to one purpose by the strong will of one man, and by the very differences that separated its units one from another. For each component felt itself but a part of the whole, and in a minority which left it no option but to work with the rest. Not a soul was to be seen on shore, but they knew that black eyes watched stealthily from every cover.