302 MYSTIC ISLES 



Landers had on a pareu only, his two hundred and 

 fifty pounds of bone and muscle a refreshing sight, and 

 his eyes as bright as if he had had the prescribed eight 

 hours. They looked at him, sighingly, the young 

 women of the village, even at this hour busied cooking 

 breadfruit or fish and coffee; and Landers flirted with 

 each one and in Tahitian called out words which made 

 them laugh, and sometimes hide their heads coquettishly. 



"I dated them all," he said to me when we were under 

 the water. We threw off our garments at the edge 

 of the pool and plunged in. The water was as soft as 

 milk and as clear as crystal, cool and invigorating. I 

 drank my fill of it as I swam. 



Breakfast we had in the chief's house, the remains of 

 the amuraa rahi of the night before. The chief drank 

 coffee with us, and when we had gone to sit on the ve- 

 randa, his eight children and wife took the board. I 

 talked with Teriieroo a Teriieroterai for half an hour 

 in French. He was thirty-eight years old, very engag- 

 ing, and had several grandchildren. 



'^'^Eh hien" he said to my question, "I will tell you. 

 I was married first at sixteen years of age and this is 

 my third wife." He pointed over his shoulder to a 

 tow-headed German for all I could see, and who cer- 

 tainly showed no sign of the native except in her dress 

 and manners and avoirdupois. 



"My first wife died," continued the arii, contempla- 

 tively. "I divorced the second, and the third is just 

 now eating the first dejeuner in that room. I have 

 eight children, and will have twenty, and I am the chief 

 of the Papenoo district, but this is not the place of my 

 ancienne famille. I was appointed here by the French 



