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it lay to the south。 The days went by； and she lived on the cocoanuts that had
kept her afloat。 They supplied her with drinking water and with food。 But she
did not drink all she wanted； nor eat all she wanted。 Rescue was
problematical。 She saw the smoke of the rescue steamers on the horizon； but
what steamer could be expected to come to lonely； uninhabited Takokota？
From the first she was tormented by corpses。 The sea persisted in flinging
them upon her bit of sand； and she persisted； until her strength failed； in
thrusting them back into the sea where the sharks tore at them and devoured
them。 When her strength failed； the bodies festooned her beach with ghastly
horror； and she withdrew from them as far as she could； which was not far。
By the tenth day her last cocoanut was gone； and she was shrivelling from
thirst。 She dragged herself along the sand； looking for cocoanuts。 It was
strange that so many bodies floated up； and no nuts。 Surely； there were more
cocoanuts afloat than dead men！ She gave up at last； and lay exhausted。 The
end had come。 Nothing remained but to wait for death。
Coming out of a stupor； she became slowly aware that she was gazing at a patch
of sandy…red hair on the head of a corpse。 The sea flung the body toward her；
then drew it back。 It turned over； and she saw that it had no face。 Yet there
was something familiar about that patch of sandy…red hair。 An hour passed。 She
did not exert herself to make the identification。 She was waiting to die； and
it mattered little to her what man that thing of horror once might have been。
But at the end of the hour she sat up slowly and stared at the corpse。 An
unusually large wave had thrown it beyond the reach of the lesser waves。 Yes；
she was right； that patch of red hair could belong to but one man in the
Paumotus。 It was Levy； the German Jew； the man who had bought the pearl and
carried it away on the Hira。 Well； one thing was evident： The Hira had been
lost。 The pearl buyer's god of fishermen and thieves had gone back on him。
She crawled down to the dead man。 His shirt had been torn away； and she could
see the leather money belt about his waist。 She held her breath and tugged at
the buckles。 They gave easier than she had expected； and she crawled hurriedly
away across the sand； dragging the belt after her。 Pocket after pocket she
unbuckled in the belt and found empty。 Where could he have put it？ In the last
pocket of all she found it； the first and only pearl he had bought on the
voyage。 She crawled a few feet farther； to escape the pestilence of the belt；
and examined the pearl。 It was the one Mapuhi had found and been robbed of by
Toriki。 She weighed it in her hand and rolled it back and forth caressingly。
But in it she saw no intrinsic beauty。 What she did see was the house Mapuhi
and Tefara and she had builded so carefully in their minds。 Each time she
looked at the pearl she saw the house in all its details； including the
octagon…drop…clock on the wall。 That was something to live for。
She tore a strip from her ahu and tied the pearl securely about her neck。 Then
she went on along the beach； panting and groaning； but resolutely seeking for
cocoanuts。 Quickly she found one； and； as she glanced around； a second。 She
broke one； drinking its water； which was mildewy； and eating the last particle
of the meat。 A little later she found a shattered dugout。 Its outrigger was
gone； but she was hopeful； and； before the day was out； she found the
outrigger。 Every find was an augury。 The pearl was a talisman。 Late in the
afternoon she saw a wooden box floating low in the water。 When she dragged it
out on the beach its contents rattled； and inside she found ten tins of
salmon。 She opened one by hammering it on the canoe。 When a leak was started；
she drained the tin。 After that she spent several hours in extracting the
salmon； hammering and squeezing it out a morsel at a time。
Eight days longer she waited for rescue。 In the meantime she fastened the
outrigger back on the canoe； using for lashings all the cocoanut fibre she
could find； and also what remained of her ahu。 The canoe was badly cracked；
and she could not make it water…tight； but a calabash made from a cocoanut she
stored on board for a bailer。 She was hard put for a paddle。 With a piece of
tin she sawed off all her hair close to the scalp。 Out of the hair she braided
a cord； and by means of the cord she lashed a three…foot piece of broom handle
to a board from the salmon case。
She gnawed wedges with her teeth and with them wedged the lashing。
On the eighteenth day； at midnight； she launched the canoe through the surf
and started back for Hikueru。 She was an old woman。 Hardship had stripped her
fat from her till scarcely more than bones and skin and a few stringy muscles
remained。 The canoe was large and should have been paddled by three strong
men。
But she did it alone； with a make…shift paddle。 Also； the canoe leaked badly；
and one…third of her time was devoted to bailing。 By clear daylight she
looked vainly for Hikueru。 Astern； Takokota had sunk beneath the sea rim。 The
sun blazed down on her nakedness； compelling her body to surrender its
moisture。 Two tins of salmon were left； and in the course of the day she
battered holes in them and drained the liquid。 She had no time to waste in
extracting the meat。 A current was setting to the westward； she made westing
whether she made southing or not。
In the eary afternoon； standing upright in the canoe； she sighted Hikueru Its
wealth of cocoanut palms was gone。 Only here and there； at wide intervals；
could she see the ragged remnants of trees。 The sight cheered her。 She was
nearer than she had thought。 The current was setting her to the westward。 She
bore up against it and paddled on。 The wedges in the paddle lashing worked
loose； and she lost much time； at frequent intervals； in driving them tight。
Then there was the bailing。 One hour in three she had to cease paddling in
order to bail。 And all the time she driftd to the westward。
By sunset Hikueru bore southeast from her； three miles away。 There was a full
moon； and by eight o'clock the land was due east and two miles away。 She
struggled on for another hour； but the land was as far away as ever。 She was
in the main grip of the current； the canoe was too large； the paddle was too
inadequate； and too much of her time and strength was wasted in bailing。
Besides； she was very weak and growing weaker。 Despite her efforts； the canoe
was drifting off to the westward。
She breathed a prayer to her shark god； slipped over the side； and began to
swim。 She was actually refreshed by the water； and quickly left the canoe
astern。 At the end of an hour the land was perceptibly nearer。 Then came her
fright。 Right before her eyes； not twenty feet away； a large fin cut the
water。 She swam steadily toward it； and slowly it glided away； curving off
toward the right and circling around her。 She kept her eyes on the fin and
swam on。 When the fin disappeared； she lay face downward in the water and
watched。 When the fin reappeared she resumed her swimming。 The monster was
lazyshe could see that。 Without doubt he had been well fed since the
hurricane。 Had he been very hungry； she knew he would not have hesitated from
making a dash for her。 He was fifteen feet long； and one bite； she knew； could
cut her in half。
But she did not have any time to waste on him。 Whether she swam or not； the
current drew away from the land just the same。 A half hour went by； and the
shark began to grow bolder。 Seeing no harm in her he drew closer； in narrowing
circles； cocking his eyes at her impudently as he slid past。 Sooner or later；
she knew well enough； he would get up sufficient courage to dash at her。 She
resolved to play first。 It was a desperate act she meditated。 She was an old
woman； alone in the sea and weak from starvation and hardship； and yet she； in
the face of this sea tiger； must anticipate his dash by herself dashing at
him。 She swam on； waiting her chance。 At last he passed languidly by； barely
eight feet away。 She rushed at him suddenly； feigning that she was attacking
him。 He gave a wild flirt of his tail as he fled away； and his sandpaper hide；
striking her； took off her skin from elbow to shoulder。 He swam rapidly； in a
widening circle； and at last disappeared。
In the hole in the sand； covered over by fragments of metal roofing； Mapuhi
and Tefara lay disputing。
〃If you had done as I said；〃 charged Tefara； for the thousandth time； 〃and
hidden the pearl and told no one； you would have it now。〃
〃But Huru…Huru was with me when I opened the shellhave I not told you so
times and times and times without end？〃
〃And now we shall have no house。 Raoul told me today that if you had not sold
the pearl to Toriki〃
〃I did not sell it。 Toriki robbed me。〃
〃that if you had not sold the pearl； he would give you five thousa