"You are no warrior, Misi. Why did you not obey Niga?"
"I did; or at least I thought I did. But it turned out I had made a mistake. Tera had changed clothes with another girl. I strangled that girl in mistake for her!"
"Ha! ha! You should have been sure she was the right one, Misi; you should have watched for her!"
"I did, Tolai. I watched longer than you would have cared to watch," answered Brand, with some irritation. "I saw that Tera was accustomed to take a walk every evening in the twilight, so I determined to follow her and strangle her. I thought that was the quietest way of settling her. I took a cord, a silk cord, from Misi Johnson's room, and one evening I followed her. But I lost sight of her for a while; some people were about, and I had to take great care not to be seen. When I came up with her--as I thought--again, she was walking along, crying. I crept up behind her, and threw the cord round her neck. She died very quietly, but it was only after she was dead that I discovered she was a gipsy girl, and not Tera. So I have a murder on my soul, and that for nothing!"
"Ahoee!" said Tolai. "If you are so afraid, why did you promise to kill Tera?"
"Why? Well, you, poor savage, would not understand. But Niga promised me that if Tera died, and he became chief, he would compel all the people of Koiau to become Christians. I sacrificed the girl that the gospel might be spread."
"But she is not yet dead!"
"Then you must kill her on the way back to Koiau. I will not act again, no, not even to bring Koiau into the fold. That dead girl's face is ever before me. I have sinned. I have done very wrong."
"You have done wrong!" repeated Tolai, drawing nearer. Then, with a lurch at Brand's throat, he shouted, "Yes, and you shall die for it!"
"Tolai!" gasped Brand, and the two men crashed on to the table. They rolled to the floor, Brand fighting desperately for life. Mrs. Hoppus rushed in, screaming and wringing her hands. Jack followed, and after him Tera and Johnson.