The group fixed its eyes on Ah Pung who was nervously watching a customs officer who, from time to time, was scanning the horizon with his glass.
Hearing what the mate said, Ah Pung turned to them and said, “Yes, me got calgo on boad the Flanny. Too muchee building stone this trip. Got big contlact make floo’ for lice thleshing, up Waiau.”
A number of the sailors nodded as if they accepted the Chinaman’s story, but the mate smiled. “That’s all right, John; don’t need to worry about us, you pig-tailed heathen. I know very well what’s inside them stones, but if you can land them without that chap nabbing you, you’ll have my sincerest admiration. I tell you,” he said lowering his voice, “you’d better get some kind of a signal out to the Fanny telling her not to land those stones at the wharf.”
The Chinaman looked the mate over carefully and then, as if satisfied with his examination, he said, “My lice schooner captain he sick. You number one sailor; you take my boat to Waiau now.”
Roberts understood the ruse and got up smilingly from his box and went over to Ah Pung’s rice schooner. The sails were hoisted and the little schooner bounded out of the harbor. Instead of turning to his right, to where Waiau lay, Roberts steered the schooner in the direction of Diamond Head.
In response to the Chinaman’s inquiring look Roberts said, “That government schooner is out somewhere. We’ll have to find out where before we can do anything.”
The schooner was skimming along at a good clip when Ah Pung’s excited eyes saw another schooner bearing down upon them.
“No,” Roberts said after looking the new comer over, “that’s not the Fanny; that’s the customs’ schooner. Well, we’ll make for Waiau.”
Carefully swinging her around, he started back to town but was hailed with the cry, “Ship ahoy!”
“The Moi Wahine,” was the reply.