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“Then Christian should have brought more women, one for each,” replied Moetua. “He must know that no man can be deprived of a woman his life long.”

“He knows,” said Susannah. “He is a chief, like Minarii, and would protect me from Martin, if it came to that.”

“And it will come to that,” observed Prudence.

“Yes,” put in Nanai. “You should go to Christian now, and tell him how you are treated. Martin is a nohu.”

“He is worse than one,” Susannah replied gloomily. “I believe that he has not once bathed since we came here. I can endure his cruelty better than his filth.... Alas! Let us speak of something more pleasant. I try to forget Martin when here with you.”

All of these women were young, with the buoyant and happy dispositions common to their race. A moment later they were chatting and laughing as gaily as though they had not a care in the world.

The garden was now in a flourishing condition. The red, volcanic soil was exceedingly rich, and the beds of yams, sweet potatoes, and the dry-land taro called tarua gave promise of an early and abundant harvest. The pale green shoots of the sugar cane were beginning to appear, and young suckers of the banana plants were opening in the sun. An abundance of huge old breadfruit trees had been found in the main valley, but Brown had, nevertheless, carefully planted the young trees brought from Tahiti, clearing a few yards of land here and there in favoured spots.