"Is he likely to do anything unpleasant at once?" "No; at present everything is----." And with his hands he indicated chaos. The situation was a grave one in some respects, though still far better than it would have been had they landed entire strangers with all their footing to win. It might even contain advantages, for Ha'o and his party would be driven by stress of circumstances still closer to them, and there was material enough to occupy them there for a long time to come. Captain Cathie was for grasping this nettle again in such a way as to neutralise its sting. "If we tackle them at once, Mr. Blair, we can knock the brother out and make things safe, and it'll maybe be the shortest cut in the end, and cost fewest lives. You know what these brown fellows are when they get to loggerheads among themselves. It's just Stewarts and Campbells over again, and no peace till one side or the other goes under." Blair nodded. "I know, captain; but, all the same, we can't begin by killing the men we want to convert. Gentle handling and patience may bring us to the appointed end. It may take longer, but the end, I think, will be the larger." But Captain Cathie shook his head, and Aunt Jannet Harvey shook hers in unison. "Some things are best nipped in the bud," said she, "and it seems to me that Mr. Ha'o has been very badly treated all round." "Well, we've done our best for him, and we'll go on doing it, but we must do it in the way we think wisest." Ha'o himself now struck in through Matti, and his question was the very natural one as to whether the white men, who had done so much for him, would continue to do so, and help him to recover his rights. It took time and patience to explain to him that they would do everything they could without fighting, unless the other side attacked him, in which case they would help him and his people to defend themselves. Ha'o saw no use for the other side except to be killed--and possibly eaten. It was not possible as yet to make clear to him their object in coming to the islands. The root idea was beyond him. He had hoped with their help to smash the opposition out of hand, and was inclined to resent this, as it seemed to him, very lukewarm offer of defensive assistance. Blair, however, was at pains to explain, as far as was possible, that they had come not to fight--at which the brown man's eyes rested appreciatively on the long brown gun--but to teach him and his people better things than fighting, and that they would help him in every possible way--except, as Ha'o's face plainly showed, in this one way, for which he would willingly have foregone all the rest. Blair showed him the tribute exacted from the _Blackbirder_, and told him the things were for himself and those who had been carried off with him, and the black eyes sparkled greedily.