“Sometimes hurricane season come blow whole village away,” Anai assured him.
“I hope this won’t be a hurricane,” said Jack.
The Kanaka shook his head.
“Bimeby him go way,” he assured them. “Look blue sky way off there now.”
Sure enough, in the far north-west, from whence the hurricane had come, a shaft of sunlight was striking the sea. Behind them they could see the storm retreating. Before long the sea had quieted down and the wind dropped almost completely.
“Well, we are better off in one respect,” said Jack, as they lay about on the reef, basking in the hot sun and drying their wet garments, “but how are we to get ashore?”
The question was answered by Anai.
“Me swim, get canoe. Soon back,” he said.
The next moment his lithe brown form was in the water. To protect himself against sharks, he carried a long knife, fashioned out of iron wood, which was slung round his neck by a lanyard. It was as tough and hard as steel, and he appeared to have no doubt that he could protect himself with it against the great fish.
Half-way to the shore a triangular fin came cruising near him and the boys dreaded to see a tragic end to their island friend. But Anai set up diabolical yells and kicked up a great splashing in the water and the sea monster sheered off again.