CHAPTER XIV
When Hauailiki saw that Laieikawai still paid no attention to him he made up his mind to come in on the surf without the board.
He left it and swam out to the breakers. As he was swimming Laieikawai said, "Hauailiki must be crazy."
Her companions said, "Perhaps he will ride in on the surf without a board."
When Hauailiki got to the breakers, just as the crest rose and broke at his back, he stood on its edge, the foam rose on each side of his neck like boars' tusks. Then all on shore shouted and for the first time Laieikawai smiled; the feat was new to her eyes and to her guardians also.
When Hauailiki saw Laieikawai smiling to herself he thought she had taken a liking to him because of this feat, so he kept on repeating it until five breakers had come in; no summons came to him from Laieikawai.
Then Hauailiki was heavy-hearted because Laieikawai took no notice of him, and he felt ashamed because of his boast to Aiwohikupua, as we have seen in the last chapter.
So he floated gently on the waves, and as he floated the time drew near for Laieikawai's party to return to Paliuli. Then Laieikawai beckoned to Hauailiki.
When Hauailiki saw the signal the burden was lifted from his mind; Hauailiki boasted to himself, "You wanted me all the time; you just delayed."
And at the signal of the princess of Paliuli he lay upon the breaker and landed right where Laieikawai and her companions were sitting; then Laieikawai threw a lehua wreath around Hauailiki's neck, as she always did for those who showed skill in surf riding. And soon after the mist and fog covered the land, and when it passed away nothing was to be seen of Laieikawai and her party; they were at Paliuli.
This was the last time that Laieikawai's party came to Keaau while Hauailiki was there; after Hauailiki's return to Kauai, then Laieikawai came again to Keaau.
After Laieikawai's party were gone to the uplands of Paliuli, Hauailiki left off surf riding and joined his guide, the chief counsellor of Aiwohikupua. Said he, "I think she is the only one who is impregnable; what, Aiwohikupua said is true. There is no luck in my beauty or my skill in surf riding; only one way is left, for us to foot it to Paliuli to-night." To this proposal of Hauailiki his comrade assented.
In the afternoon, after dinner, the two went up inland and entered the forest where it was densely overgrown with underbrush. As they went on, they met Mailehaiwale, the princess's first guardian. When she saw them approaching from a distance, she cried, "O Hauailiki, you two go back from there, you two have no business to come up here, for I am the outpost of the princess's guards and it is my business to drive back all who come here; so turn back, you two, without delay."
Said Hauailiki, "Just let us go take a look at the princess's house."
Said Mailehaiwale, "I will not let you; for I am put here to drive off everybody who comes up here like you two."
But because they urged her with such persuasive words, she did consent.
As they went on, after Mailehaiwale let them pass, they soon encountered
Mailekaluhea, the second of the princess's guardians.
Said Mailekaluhea, "Here! you two go back, you two have no right to come up here. How did you get permission to pass here?"
Said they, "We came to see the princess."
"You two have no such right," said Mailekaluhea, "for we guards are stationed here to drive off everybody who comes to this place; so, you two go back."
But to Mailekaluhea's command they answered so craftily with flattering words that they were allowed to pass.
As the two went on they met Mailelaulii and with the same words they had used to the first, so they addressed Mailelaulii.
And because of their great craft in persuasion, the two were allowed to pass Mailelaulii's front. And they went on, and met Mailepakaha, the fourth guardian.
When they came before Mailepakaha this guardian was not at all pleased at their having been let slip by the first guards, but so crafty was their speech that they were allowed to pass.
And they went on, and behold! they came upon Kahalaomapuana, the guardian at the door of the chief-house, who was resting on the wings of birds, and when they saw how strange was the workmanship of the chief-house, then Hauailiki fell to the earth with trembling heart.
When Kahalaomapuana saw them she was angry, and she called out to them authoritatively, as the princess's war chief, "O Hauailiki! haste and go back, for you two have no business here; if you persist, then I will call hither the birds of Paliuli to eat your flesh; only your spirits will return to Kauai."
At these terrible words of Kahalaomapuana, Hauailiki's courage entirely left him; he arose and ran swiftly until he reached Keaau in the early morning.
For weariness of the journey up to Paliuli, they fell down and slept.
While Hauailiki slept, Laieikawai came to him in a dream, and they met together; and on Hauailiki's starting from sleep, behold! it was a dream.
Hauailiki slept again; again he had the dream as at first; four nights and four days the dream was repeated to Hauailiki, and his mind was troubled.
On the fifth night after the dream had come to Hauailiki so repeatedly, after dark, he arose and ascended to the uplands of Paliuli without his comrade's knowledge.
In going up, he did not follow the road the two had taken before, but close to Mailehaiwale he took a new path and escaped the eyes of the princess's guardians.
When he got outside the chief-house Kahalaomapuana was fast asleep, so he tiptoed up secretly, unfastened the covering at the entrance to the house, which was wrought with feather work, and behold! he saw Laieikawai resting on the wings of birds, fast asleep also.
When he had entered and stood where the princess was sleeping, he caught hold of the princess's head and shook her. Then Laieikawai started up from' sleep, and behold! Hauailiki standing at her head, and her mind was troubled.
Then Laieikawai spoke softly to Hauailiki, "Go away now, for death and life have been left with my guardians, and therefore I pity you; arise and go; do not wait."
Hauailiki said, "O Princess, let us kiss[49] one another, for a few nights ago I came up and got here without seeing you; we were driven away by the power of your guards, and on our reaching the coast, exhausted, I fell asleep; while I slept we two met together in a dream and we were united, and many days and nights the same dream came; therefore I have come up here again to fulfill what was done in the dream."
Laieikawai said, "Return; what you say is no concern of mine; for the same thing has come to me in a dream and it happened to me as it happened to you, and what is that to me? Go! return!"
As Kahalaomapuana slept, she heard low talking in the house, and she started up from sleep and called out, "O Laieikawai, who is the confidant who is whispering to you?"
When she heard the questioner, Laieikawai ceased speaking.
Soon Kahalaomapuana arose and entered the house, and behold! Hauailiki was in the house with Laieikawai.
Kahalaomapuana said, "O Hauailiki, arise and go; you have no right to enter here; I told you before that you had no business in this place, and I say the same thing to-night as on that first night, so arise and return to the coast."
And at these words of Kahalaomapuana Hauailiki arose with shame in his heart, and returned to the beach at Keaau and told his comrades about his journey to Paliuli.
When Hauailiki saw that he had no further chance to win Laieikawai, then he made the canoe ready to go back to Kauai, and with the dawn left Keaau and sailed thither.
When Hauailiki's party returned to Kauai and came to Wailua, he saw a great company of the high chiefs and low chiefs of the court, and Kauakahialii and Kailiokalauokekoa with them.
As Hauailiki and his party were nearing the mouth of the river at
Wailua, he saw Aiwohikupua and called out, "I have lost."
When Hauailiki landed and told Aiwohikupua the story of his journey and how his sisters had become the princess's guardians, then Aiwohikupua rejoiced.
He declared to Hauailiki, "There's an end to our bet, for it was made while we were drunk with awa."
While Hauailiki was telling how Aiwohikupua's sisters had become guardians to Laieikawai, then Aiwohikupua conceived afresh the hope of sailing to Hawaii to get Laieikawai, as he had before desired.