“I'm all right, Tessa,” said Harvey; “it's only a broken bone. Atkins, old man, don't look so worried. You can set it easily enough. Good man, you've brought some rum, I see, and 'I willna say no,' as poor Morrison used to say.”
Atkins, whose hand was shaking with excitement, for he thought that perhaps Harvey was mortally wounded and was only assuming cheerfulness, gave him a stiff tot of rum.
“Here's luck to you, Atkins. Tessa dear, don't cry. Atkins will fix me up in a brace of shakes as soon as we get to the village. And look here, Tess. See what I found upon the reef.”
Long before sunset Harvey was sleeping quietly in the head-man's house, with Tessa and Maoni watching beside him. Atkins had carefully set the broken limb with broad splints of coconut-spathe; and, proud and satisfied with his work, was pacing to and fro outside the house, smoking his pipe.
Presently Latour and Malua appeared, and the Frenchman beckoned to the second mate.
“What is it, steward?”
“Huka has just come back, sir. He wants to see you. The captain is dead.”
“Thank God for that. Where did they get him?”
“Huka will tell you, sir. Here he is.”