Sestrina’s frightened scream echoed over the silent hills of the isle. Even the roosting parrots rose in a fluttering, shrieking shower and flapped and muttered in the moonlit sky at being disturbed by humanity in the sylvan peace of their tropic world.
Hawahee, who had awakened with a start at hearing the girl’s cry, jumped from his bed-mat. Rushing towards Sestrina’s hut, he found her struggling in Lupo’s grasp as Rohana stood by and Steno and the two blind lepers groped in their madness to touch the girl’s flesh. In a moment Hawahee had knocked Lupo and Rohana down. Then he seized hold of Sestrina and carried her fainting form into her chamber.
“Thank Pelé, Kuahilo, and the great White God that I was in time,” he murmured, as Sestrina opened her eyes and said:
“Do not hurt them. They tried to kiss me; they have gone mad!”
Next day Hawahee went over to the lepers’ dwelling. Gazing upon the stricken men with flashing eyes, he said, “Betrayers of innocence! Faithless to the gods and to thine own souls, Pelé, Kuahilo and Atua of Langi will leave your bodies everlastingly in the dust.”
Saying such things as these to the lepers, they hung their heads in shame. And though Hawahee’s wrath was righteous and came from the depths of his noble soul, he, too, was a man and so secretly felt a deep compassion for his weaker fellows. But still keeping up an appearance of anger, he ordered the lepers to pack up at once and go away, and make another dwelling for themselves on the other side of the isle. Then he straightway went into the hollows next to where they slept, and seeing the half-empty barrel of rum, turned it upside down and let the hot fluid run away into the sands.
“Loa, va naki” (go at once from here), he said.
The stricken men at once began to pack their belongings—a few old clothes and trinkets saved from the wreck—and were soon prepared to depart.
“Wahine, Sestra!” called Hawahee. As Sestrina, who had stood close by in the shade of the bamboos, appeared, the erring men dropped their eyes, and the blind ones wailed.
“Come thou too,” said Hawahee as he looked at the girl.