A 52295 5
K   8                                                            fi g  '"nkk
T'    X5r: l: ===. |,f..-..,f,|a |si:                                     5
I < 4                                     ~       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1?1.11.E!W
I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~T 9l




111 1|11 1.ll




z28
Tr75k


II I: _ _ _ __




4
i











WATLRK'FAILI.S - HAWAIl




KELEA:
The Surf-Rider
Ad Romance of Pagan Hawaii


-a V  By
Alex. Stevenson Twombly
Author of "Hawaii and its People,"
"Masterpieces of Michael Angelo and Milton,"
Etc., Etc.


NEW TORK
Fords, Howard, & Hulbert
1900




Copyright in I900
BY ALEXANDER S. TWOMBLY.




To the
HA WAIIANV FRIENDS
who welcomed the author to their homes
in 1894,
and to all the SCHOLARS, native andforezgn,
whose researches among the Traditions and Folk-lore
of the Islanders have made it possible to write
this story of their ancient manners and customs, this work is gratefully inscribed.




-'                     -   -    1   I  -, -I I  1 1   -   1   -. l,. - - - -,. - - 11  -   - - 1 1 11 --.I.- - I  ", -I   I 1  




h -'   ".
CONTENTS.
CHAPTERS.                           PAGES.
I. PU' ALOHA, THE FLOWER OF LOVE..  I
II. KELEA, THE SURF-RIDER OF MAUI,.  14
III. NUMUKU, A CHIEF OF OAHU,.. 33
IV. THE BATTLE OF THE SAND HILLS,. 42
V. SAVAGE CHIVALRY,... 58
VI. KELEA IN THE VALE OF IAO,.. 68
VII. A MIDNIGHT ASSAULT,... 76
VIII. PAAO THE TRAITOR,..     85
IX. HOOKAMA OFF HIS GUARD,.. 90
X. A HAWAIIAN MAIDEN'S REVENGE,. 97
XI. A HAWAIIAN WOOING,...   108
XII. A VISION OF KELEA'SANCESTRESS,. 119
XIII. A SAVAGE TYRANT FOILED,.. I30
XIV. HOOKAMA, PRISONER AT HAWAII,. 145
XV. A DUEL WITH SPEARS,...156
XVI. MENEHUNE, THE DWARF-GIANT,. 164
XVII. AN ASTONISHED DEITY,...176
XVIII. "FEATHER-MANTLE,"... 90
XIX. PELE, FIRE GODDESS OF KILAUEA,. 201




vi


CONTENVTS.


CHAPTERS.                          PAGES.
XX. Lou, GUIDE TO THE VOLCANO,. 207
XXI. AN OFFERING TO PELE,.. 217
XXII. A CHALLENGE TO PELE,...227
XXIII. KING KAHAHANA'S RETURN TO
OAHU,...240
XXIV. THE SONG BIRD UNDER A CALABASH, 255
XXV. A CRISIS,... 267
XXVI. THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF,. 274
XXVII. THE CONSPIRATORS' CAVE,..286
XXVIII. A SON OF A GOD,..    296
XXIX. A DISCONSOLATE LOVER,.. 306
XXX. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING,..   316
XXXI. BETROTHED,..... 326
XXXII. HOOKAMA AND PAAO SETTLE A
QUESTION,... 334
XXXIII. AN APPARITION,..    345
XXXIV. HOOKAMA DISCOVERS HIS
ANCESTORS,....    36
XXXV. SURF-RIDING AT ITS CULMINATING
POINT,.....    374
XXXVI. ALOHA!... 389




ILLUSTRATIONS.


I. WATERFALL-HAWAII
2. HAWAIIAN GRASS HOUSE
3. THE PINNACLE-IAO VALLEY
4. HAWAIIAN WOMEN BATHING
5. SURF-SCENE.
6. COCOA-NUT ISLAND 
7. A LAVA CASCADE. Fron/ispiece
PAGE
15
74
96
~..     96
I76
202
220


8. THE LAKE OF FIRE, COLLAPSED.
9. " ISLANDS LIFT THEIR FRONDED PALMS
IN AIR".
10. POOL OF KAPENA


238
301
370




l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




KELEA:
THE SURF-RIDER OF MAUI.
CHAPTER I.
PU' ALOHA, THE FLOWER OF LOVE.
THE name Pu' Aloha, "Flower of Love,"
brings to us the vision of a beautiful girl, who,
before the white man came, or the Hawaiian
islanders flung their idols to the flames, became
the idol of Hookama, the chief bird-catcher
of Oahu.
The maiden, in all the unveiled charms of
sixteen summers, stood looking seaward, her
hand to her eyes, as if watching for signs on
the sea toward the south. Although she
lived in the family of Numuku, one of the
high chiefs of Oahu, she was not his daughter,
but a part of the spoils of one of his forays
into a neighboring island.
Hardly able to walk when brought to the
chief's household, she was a pretty child, with
something in her blood unlike other Hawaiian
infants-a strain perhaps of a forgotten foreign




2


KELEA: THE SURF'RIDER.


ancestry. Numuku was attracted by her and
intended to rear her for a wife, when she
should become of marriageable age.
She was brought up in the chief's enclosure,
which contained his large grass house and the
smaller houses of his women and servants.
These habitations stood on an eminence about
a mile and a half from what is now the harbor
of Honolulu. A picturesque ravine bounded
the enclosure on the south, and even to-day
defies the transforming hand of civilization,
the one spot near the modern city that has
marks of its primitive beauty and simplicity.
Hedges of prickly pear in blossom still line
the zig-zag path from the plateau above. A
short turn leads under a mass of rock, Titanpiled, dark in the shadows and covered with
trailing vines. It is the sweetest dell in all
the region. Wild roses dispute possession of
the soil with the brilliant lantana. Broad
leaves wave over bunches of ripe bananas.
Two grass houses, gray with age, stand on
either side of a stream that rushes noisily over
the stones. A solitary palm, rooted in the
rocks, sentinels a pool a little higher up the
stream; it is the last remnant of a grove
which hung over sparkling Kapena, a bathing
place and reservoir of prolific springs on the
heights.:- i:-~:




PU ' ALOA, THE FLO WER OF LOVE.


3


It is a place for dreams-dreams of the past,
with fascinating flashes of bright color, mysterious  valleys and beautiful  traditions.
Clouds overhang the hilltops or send atomizing showers to cool the vales. All Hawaiian
myths and legends are whispered to the
dreamer in this spot, secure from intrusion
amid the hum of insects and the sweet odors
of a semi-tropical afternoon.
A little more than a century ago, Numuku's
possessions included this enchanting ravine
and extended to the mountain top from the
coast below. From the eminence on which his
spacious, thatched house was placed, the eye,
overlooking valley and plain, caught glimpses
of the blue sea to the horizon, while near the
shore a fringe of white foam, breaking over the
reef, bounded his domain.
Within this range, he was almost absolute
master. The life and death of his dependants
were in his hands. He owed a sort of feudal
allegiance to the king of Oahu, but that was
all. Beyond the reef the open sea was common
ground. Kuula, the fisherman's god, was
above all chiefs and the king himself, in the
wide ocean.
Dazzling indeed was Pu' Aloha in the sunlight, for the shining orb had often kissed her
half-clad beauty, giving it a rosy hue. A child




4


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


of nature, always in the open air, full of the
exuberance of health, graceful in pose and
movement, unconscious of her own loveliness
and filled with the joy of all things about her,
she had grown like the flowers. Not a care
or a cloud had ever cast a shadow until this
hour over the brightness of her life.
She was brought up with an adopted son of
Numuku, the boy Hookama, six years her
senior, who was from her infancy her only
playmate. Together they enjoyed sliding
down the sides of the ravine, his arms around
her on the same sledge while his foot guided
their course. Together they wove garlands
of the dainty lehua, growing profusely in the
valley. Like a foster-brother Hookama carved
charms of bone for the maiden's neck and
made bracelets and anklets of glittering shells
for her limbs. Gradually her playfellow became a large part of her life; the mystery of
young womanhood, breaking into her consciousness, revealed the beginning of a passion, undefined yet resistless, and as natural to her being
as the opening of a flower to the sun or the
cooing of a dove to its mate.
She had a house of her own, over which the
convolvulus clambered, and the few wakines
(girls) who served her were strictly charged
to talk with her only on household matters.




PU' ALOHA, THE FLOWER OF LO VE.


5


She was not haughty or unkind to them, but
they were her menials. The wrinkled crone,
who taught her to cook simple viands, to strip
the cocoanut and to stamp rude figures on tapa
(native cloth) was a genial soul with a pleasant
word for her pua (blossom), but beyond her
sphere as an instructor she was told to hold
her tongue.
Up to the time of our story, the girl knew
nothing of the disagreeable native world outside
her home. She might espy, when the atmosphere was clear, some of the hideous images,
gods guarding the wall of a temple on the hill,
but she thought of them as she regarded the
beetling crags to the north, in a sphere wholly
apart from her own.
Once in a while, some hard-visaged men, the
kahunas, medicine-men of the tribe, were
admitted to the chief's presence, but their
cruel functions were never mentioned in her
presence. When she passed any of these
creatures it was without fear or curiosity.
She turned her face away because she did not
like their looks.
She did not even know that there were
human sacrifices offered in the temples. All
the world outside the enclosure, except
glimpses of little villages and the sea, was an
unknown country. She had her pretty flowers,




6


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


her beloved ravine and her playmate; why
should she concern herself about what lay
beyond? She grew into an altogether bewitching princess, out of place perhaps among
pagans, but, like a certain flower found in
crevices of black lava, quite as choice and fragrant as many flowers planted in a more congenial soil.
One other of her attendants should be
mentioned; a queer dwarf who lay at night
outside her grass house to guard it. She called
him Menehune*(brownie) and half believed that
he belonged to the good little people that she
had been told made gourds grow in a single
night and danced in the moonlight on the
mountains. He was a frolicsome fellow, and
true as steel to his young mistress. Pu' Aloha
was never at a loss for amusement when he
was at hand. He had slits in his ears and could
put his thumbs through them, letting his large,
uncouth hands hang down in front. His face
was embellished with several lines across the
nose and the cheeks, which he said he got in
* The Hawaiian language is most musical; but, in order
to realize this, it must be borne in mind that, in representing
the words and names in our roman letters, the vowels take
the European sounds (a being ah; e, a; i, ee; o, o; and u, oo.)
Moreover, there are, as in Italian, no silent letters, each
vowel being pronounced. Thus, the word wahine is wa-hine; the name Menehune, is Me-ne-huz-ne; etc.




PU' ALOHA, THE FLOWER OF LO E.


7


the wars. His language was in monosyllables
and signs, but for purposes of his own he really
feigned to be more of a fool than he was.
Hookama, the playmate of Pu' Aloha, was a
full-blooded native, adopted, as his name implied, by the chief Numuku. He had never
been told who his parents were, nor did he care
much to know. He was treated as the chief's
son, and was full of life and vigor. He could
beat many other chiefs' sons in throwing the
spear and swimming in the surf. His physical
proportions made him a marked figure among
the higher retainers of the chief. He could
climb precipices, leap chasms, and, because of
his accomplishments in this line, Numuku
made him his head bird-catcher, a pursuit requiring great daring  and adroitness.  He
could cling to a reef while a dozen heavy seas
swept over it, and in warlike prowess had already distinguished himself. In the last battle
with a neighboring tribe, by his boldness and
sagacity as a scout he enabled his chief to surprise in a rocky defile and cut off a hostile
band, double the number of the chief's followers.  He accepted of course the gods
and traditions of his race.  He liked best
to listen when the old prophetess, one of the
chief's household, chanted a nmele, filled with




8


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


the romance and myths which constituted a
large part of the knowledge of the Hawaiians.
Many of these fanciful and poetic stories he
learned by heart, and often beguiled an hour
of idleness with Pu' Aloha, by relating them
to her.  In these myths, he chose exceptional passages which tell of noble conduct and
faithful attachment, in the midst of much that
is cruel, false and vile.  By an instinctive
feeling, the grosser allusions and tales he kept
from the maiden, as he would shield her from
nettles and prickly shrubs in her play.
He fell in with most of the customs of the
people, some of which need not be narrated;
but there was one thing he abhorred. It
was the manner in which the chiefs and
priests obtained victims for sacrifice to the
gods. The mu (assassin) stole up behind a
feeble or defenceless native and clutching him
by the neck or arms carried him off to death
by strangulation.
This Hookama considered a most cowardly
act. To stand one's ground and take the
chances in a fair fight and then, if conquered,
to meet even a horrible death in the heiau
(temple) was a part of the savage's religion, but
to take a man at unawares and throttle him,
as a gift to the gods, seemed meaner than
cowardice.




PU' ALOHA, THE FLO WER OF LOVE.


9


To such a playmate and companion Pu'Aloha
became a sort of divinity to be served and
honored. He was her vassal. He never
dreamed that she was like other maidens, to
be wooed and won by him.
Several weeks before the day when Pu' Aloha
stood looking seaward, Hookama had been
sent by his chief to Hawaii, the largest and
most southern island of the group, about two
hundred miles away. Ostensibly his mission
was to obtain some rare feathers of birds, not
found on the other islands.
The expedition was fraught with peculiar
danger because the king of Hawaii was
hostile to the king of Oahu, who was at this
very time fighting on the side of the king of
Maui against him. If a bird-catcher or any
other native from Oahu was caught on the
island of Hawaii he would certainly be sacrificed to the gods. Numuku knew this peril,
and for'that very reason sent Hookama to meet
it. One of the chief's retainers, Paao by name,
had for a long time entertained a passion for
Pu' Aloha and kept an espionage over her,
becoming extremely jealous of her growing
intimacy with Hookama. Paao lived in a grass
house outside of the enclosure, and behind a
thick growth of cactus could act the spy. He
was keeper of the chief's mantles, and used




Io 0    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


every pretext to present himself at the door of
the big house. Once he accosted the maiden,
as she was seated under the zao tree near her
house, weaving wreaths, but she merely looked
up and replied carelessly to his flattery. It
was not long before his obtrusive attentions
provoked her to repel him with an indignant
answer. After that, she conceived the utmost
aversion toward him and avoided him whenever he approached. He was a person of some
hereditary pretension, tracing back his pedigree
to a priest of the same name who migrated to
the island in the eleventh century. The maintenance of records of lineage among the chiefs
and higher classes of the Hawaiian Islanders,
is an incidental evidence of their intellectual
superiority to other Polynesians, although it
does not seem to have carried with it any
pride of moral quality. If indeed Paao was
descended from this ancient priest, he inherited
an unenviable legacy with the name, for not
only was this distant ancestor well versed in
sorcery but was of a most cruel and unscrupulous nature.
Pu' Aloha, wholly unsuspicious of evil, openly
showed her partiality for the chief's birdcatcher, and Paao took advantage of this to
poison the chief's mind against Hookama.
Under the impulse of jealousy, Numuku




PU ALOHA, THE FLOWER OF LOV E.


II


determined to get rid of the young man.
Hookama himself was greatly elated by the
prospect of launching his boat at the chief's
command to do a daring deed. He knew the
danger but was eager to encounter it.
His canoe, hollowed out by his own hand
from the trunk of a koa tree was staunch and
sea-worthy. He had tested it in many a storm
and amid the breakers. The sail was of stout
matting, of a tri-form shape, and from the mast
fluttered a colored streamer, suggestive of his
rank. A rude image which he had roughly
hewn from wood and which resembled neither
god nor man-a kind of "totem," with a
queer head and a human body-was lashed in
the bow of the canoe. It was a fancy of his
to ask oracles of it and give imaginary answers.
The monster was the result of a sportive freak
and afforded him amusement rather than any
serious concern. He knew that only the
highest chiefs could carry real images of the
gods with them on their expeditions.
He loaded his boat with a few necessary
supplies; calabashes of food, fishhooks, and
lines of cocoanut fibre, a bird-catcher's outfit,
his weapons, and a small mantle of yellow
feathers, which he had secretly made for him
self. He had some bright ma/os (girdles) and
a roll of tapa.




12     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Springing into the canoe, he pushed it into
deep water with a light and brave heart, waving his paddle to the crowd of idle natives on
the beach. Among them was Paao, who
affected a great friendship for him and gave
him a dagger made of a shark's tooth, valuable
both for use and ornament. It had a poisoned
tip, although Hookama was not aware of it.
A light wind was blowing off shore, and, setting his mast and sail, the youth steered his
craft through the single opening in the reef.
Like a bird on the wing, lightly skimming the
wave, the boat passed into the open sea.
Then Hookama climbed out and stood on
the outrigger, and with dextrous motions,
flourished his dripping paddle blade above his
head, tossed it high and caught it in its descent. It was the signal of farewell that he
had agreed to give Pu' Aloha, who was watching him from her perch in a tall koa tree,
where he had made for her a rude resting
place, with a netting which secured her from
falling. She waved her bright red mantle as
she saw each movement of his play in the clear
atmosphere. Proudly she looked at his form
and wondered at his skill. Then lying back in
her nest she lost herself in a delicious languor
of love and dreams.
But the glance which Hookama had given




PU' ALOHA, THE PLOt WE OL O Vt0R.


to the bright red spot on the cliff was not lost
by Paao, who took his way sullenly along the
beach, muttering curses on his rival and striking with his stick every cowering native that
crossed his path. He was hated as much as
Hookama was liked by the common people.
Passing what is now called Koko Head,
Hookama lowered his sail to meet the seething waters of the Kaiwi channel between
Oahu and Molokai, where the currents and the
trade winds clash and keep the waves in violent commotion. Thrusting his paddle into
the contending billows he battled with them
as if revelling demons threatened to engulf
him.
The wind-god put him on his mettle under
the giant cliffs of Molokai. Ghouls and goblins of the dark caverns seemed to haunt the
shadows of overhanging   rocks.  Nothing
daunted, late at night on the second day of
his venturesome voyage, he reached the island
of Maui and landed at Waihee, once the lovely
inheritance of Namahana, daughter of the most
renowned king of Maui's long line of warrior
chiefs.




CHAPTER II.


KELEA, THE SURF-RIDER OF MAUI.
THE white sand of the beach was luminous
in the full tropical moonlight, as our stalwart
young savage strode up from the sea towards
a line of lofty cocoa-nut palms. Beyond was
a village of thatched huts, nestling in the midst
of luxuriant foliage. He had drawn his canoe
above the reach of the incoming tide and now
sought a resting place for the night.
He was weary after his toilsome journey of
many a score of leagues through the boisterous
channels between his home on the island of
Oahu and the island of Maui which he had
never visited before. But there was an air of
bravado in his swinging gait, for he was on a
quest from his chief, which meant great honor
if he succeeded, disgrace and perhaps death if
he failed.
His brawny muscles were wet with the spray




ki6   -...~-,~, - -  ~,~ ---   -  -,  ',  -  -  4.- - 




,:   ~~~~~~~~~~~~:; ~"
-   S  W  W adz j + v B~iii-ei?~ X~~.: a  _ i _
HAWAIIANA;   GRASS HoGUSFt




KELEA, THE SURF-RIDER OF MAUI. IS


of the breakers and his graceful form was unencumbered by any clothing save a malo, or
breech-cloth, around his loins. His face was
fine and prepossessing, for he was of royal
blood. His name, Hookama, the Adopted
One, gave no hint of his rank, but every
islander of the Hawaiian group would know at
a glance that he was no ordinary personage.
Approaching a large grass house, overrun
with vines, he was surprised to find the entrance open, no occupant within, and the remnants of recent feasting spread out on the
floor. Calabashes partially filled with food,
garments of tapa cloth and mats, heaped in
confusion, told of the hasty departure of the
owners of the house.
From the village of Waihee where he accidentally landed, the famous queen Namahana,
with her husband, a warlike chief, had been
driven out by her half-brother, now king over
a large part of the island. She had lived here
in princely style; her gardens, taro patches
and palm groves were extraordinary in size
and luxuriance. Her possessions had passed
to a favorite chief of the usurper and were still
maintained in a royal way.
The youth Hookama was in too great need
of sleep to seek the cause of the disorder in
the house, which was evidently that of a chief



KELEA: AHE SURP-RIDER.


tain: hastily partaking of the food, he flung
himself on an irregular pile of mats and
dropped into a deep slumber.
How long he slept he did not know, but
when he awoke it was to find himself surrounded by a bevy of laughing damsels, profusely adorned with flowers and apparently
enjoying themselves at his expense. The
morning sun shone brightly through the doorway. The young stranger lay stretched on
the mats and, as he awoke with a sudden movement and sat upright, the girls drew back and
fell over one another in their effort to get beyond his reach. Their hurried movements
showed that they had been too inquisitive in
investigating the tattoo marks on his shoulders
and breast in their curiosity to discover his rank.
A courtly salutation from the object of their
scrutiny allayed their fears and gave them
ample opportunity to recover their composure.
They were a merry group, obviously from the
better class of natives. One seemed superior
to the rest and was the leader in their frolic.
With well-rounded forms, clothed in thepau,
the customary short skirt of the women of
Hawaii, and some of them wearing bracelets on
the wrists, they made a pretty picture as the
youth gazed inquiringly into their faces and
watched their graceful postures.




AiELPA, TZtH StUR-RDER OF MAUL.  t?


Their hair was short above the forehead;
long wavy locks fell over their shoulders, and
there was a simplicity in their looks and
actions which the life of high caste native
women naturally produced. One or two
might be the belles of the village. They were
all of large frames, well proportioned. When
they stood erect their figures had considerable
style and beauty of outline. They were too
large and plump for nymphs or fairies of civilized legends, but, judged by Hawaiian standards, were an attractive group.
Some of the younger girls began to giggle
when the silence became embarrassing, neither
party being prepared to begin a conversation.
A few sidled towards the opening. They had
no right to be prying about in a house belonging to the men, especially when a man was in it.
When then a few of the more timid made a
movement towards the door the whole bevy
rushed out, and Hookama, following, saw them
fleeing to the beach, where most of them
plunged into the water like a flock of sea-birds
and began to sport in the surf.
A part seized their surf-boards, pushed them
through the nearer breakers, and then, lying
down upon them, rode back to the shore.
These boards were made by stone axes from
hard koa wood, slightly hollowed and polished,




KELEA; THE SURF-RIDER.


broad enough to carry the body and from
six to eight feet in length.
On these floats some even stood erect and
balanced themselves as they were carried along
by the smaller rollers.  Their audacious
struggles with the waves, their loud shouts
when a big roller tumbled them over, and
their comely shoulders rising from the sea,
made the scene a lively one.  The spray
they tossed with their arms sparkled in the
sunbeams, completing the beauty of the
sight.
A few of these water-sprites, more daring
than the rest, swam out beyond the combing
breakers and disported themselves in deeper
water. One or two chanced to find Hookama's
canoe which he had left on the shore, and were
examining its contents, carelessly left in the
boat in spite of the fact that the people of
Maui were known to be arrant thieves.
But these inquisitive damsels, happening to
look back, saw Hookama coming from the
chief's house and sprang away, leaping into the
surf to join their companions in the morning
bath. They, however, had found out by the
scarlet cloak in the canoe that the stranger was
a chief of high degree.
IHookama, accustomed to the merry games
of water nymphs at Waikiki, a village on one




KELEA, THE SURFRIDER OF MAUI.


I9


of the beaches of Oahu, needed no second impulse to run towards the group of mermaids
and soon was among them battling with the
breakers.
The girl he had noticed at the house as the
comeliest and the strongest, oblivious of everything but the joy of buffeting the waves,
suddenly found herself far away from the
others and looking out ahead was horrified to
see the back fin of a large shark cutting the
water and coming in her direction. With a
scream of terror she turned to the shore and
a huge wave, combing at that instant, enabled
her by vigorous swimming to increase the distance between her and her pursuer. She had
never known a shark to venture so near the
beach.
Then began a desperate race for life. The
girl was in deep water where a shark can
easily take its prey, and she knew that her
only chance to escape was to reach a sand-bar
which jutted out from the shore, although
quite a distance from where she was. Her
swimming was the admiration and envy of all
her companions on the island. Her courage
in the breakers was phenomenal; but now
her fright prevented her from using her
strength and skill. Her shrieks rent the air
and reached the ears of Hookama and the




2O      KELEA: TIZE SURA-RIDER.


wahines who cried out in terror when they
saw the perilous situation.
Hookama, with no thought but to rescue
the girl from the jaws of Noa-alii, the sharkgod, plunged into the deep sea. The danger
of the maiden inspired him with almost incredible strength.  She was swimming in a
direction parallel with the beach, and Hookama
took a course nearly at a right angle to intercept the shark before it could snatch its prey.
The shark was gaining rapidly in the race,
but had some distance yet to compass. The
approach of a new person diverted its attention only for a moment, and then it kept on,
preferring, as sharks do, the lighter victim to
the darker one.
The girl saw Hookama coming to her rescue.
She counted the strokes of his arms as he
swam. He called to her as loud as he could to
keep up her courage. He had some experience
in hunting sharks for sport, and knew their
habits, but so great was the emergency that he
could almost see in his mind's eye the awful
jaws of the monster crunching the girl's flesh.
Moments passed which seemed hours, and
the shark was lessening the space between it
and the girl, who must yet go a considerable
space to reach shallow water. To Hookama's
relief, the fish suddenly turned and made for




KELEA, THE SURF-RIDER OF MAUI. 21


him. There was no fear or hesitation in
Hookama's mind. He had never known what
fear is, and, a shark-god or fish-mattered
nothing to him so long as that girl's face, looking over her shoulder, was before his mind.
She at least was saved from a horrible death.
Taking his shark's tooth dagger in his teeth
-it had been fastened in his waist-cloth-he
coolly awaited the monster's approach. The
situation was a desperate one. Could he meet
it at such odds? Removing the dagger from
his mouth, he drew two deep breaths, treading
water till he saw the shark, now close upon
him, sink down in order to turn belly-upwards to enable his short under jaw to seize
the legs of his prey.
There was a white flash under the clear
water just where the shark disappeared.
Hookama knew what it meant. Gleaming beneath the waves, a few feet below the surface,
the terrific creature moved in a curve which
would bring it up in a few seconds for its
attack.
The water became troubled and foamy. It
was difficult to estimate exactly the movements of the shark, but the youth, taking the
only chance left to him, quick as lightning and
by a muscular effort of which few athletes are
capable, dove and swam under water-the dag



22


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


ger now in his right hand, and his eyes wide
open-trying to gain a lower depth than the
shark.
Fortunately, the shark did not turn wholly
over, and the sudden dive of Hookama disconcerted the huge fish, so that when it passed
the youth, it presented the belly side-wise,
affording a wide surface for a thrust.
Instantly, Hookama jerked the dagger desperately through the soft flesh, and the rapidity
of the shark's motion swept the sharp blade
along, making a deep, lengthy gash. The
young man rose to the surface some yards
away and knew, by the splashing of the shark's
tail above the waves and the bloody foam
floating around it, that the contest was over.
With the reflection that it was a good thing
to have a dagger at hand, since nobody can
tell when it may be needed, Hookama swam
by easy strokes to the sand-bank, to see how
it fared with the girlo Looking back, he saw
the shark still lashing the sea in convulsive
throes, but its spasms gradually decreased until it lay lifeless on the surface, its huge bulk
motionless except as rocked by the waves.
The rescued maiden reclined upon the edge
of the sand-bar, where the ripples touched her
feet. She was almost exhausted and but partially recovered from her fright. As Hookama




KELEA, THE SURF-RIDER OF MAUL. 23


approached, she raised herself on her elbow
and shaded her eyes with her hand, as if from
the glare of the sun, but in reality after the
coquettish manner of a maid, who finds herself
for the first time alone with a man towards
whom she feels the awakening of a new sentiment.
When she tried to express her thanks, the
youth laughed merrily and said: "It wasn't
much of a shark after all. The shark-king
must have sent one of his clowns in search of
sport;" but both he and the girl were glad that
the " sport" had terminated without more
mischief in it, so far as they were concerned.
Hookama could not take his eyes from the
attractive maiden, who, on her part, was
equally his captive. It was not so much the
girl's fresh and rather handsome face that attracted the youth, as the pluck she had shown
and the muscular proportions of her form.
The eye of a savage cares less for fine curves
and delicate lines in a woman, than for the robust contour which betokens strength of body
and sturdy endurance. The two then swam
leisurely towards the beach, and while Hookama praised her swimming, she, on her part,
was wondering whether or not a shark-god,
or any god, could compare in beauty and vigor
with the hero who had saved her from the




24     KELEA, THE SURF-RIDER.


tragic fate of a visit to the coral shades
below.
When they reached the shore she disentangled the seaweed which clung to her dishevelled locks, and turning towards the ocean,
shook the glutinous mass and vowed an offering to Kane-kuli-koa (god of the sea,) as she
laughingly said to Hookama, "Because the
deity had sent such a noble messenger to the
rescue."
The wahines, who in terror had watched
the exciting contest from the shore, were overjoyed at the result. They clustered about the
maiden, threw a tapa mantle over her shoulders,
and insisted that Hookama should return with
them to a house, which they pointed out as
the home of Kelea. This was the rescued
girl's name; she was the daughter of the chief
of Waihee, and a descendant of the famous
Kelea, the surf-rider of Maui, celebrated in
the myths and legends of Hawaii.
When the party reached a large grass house,
the girls, drawing back a curtain of richly
stained tapa cloth from the opening, disclosed
an apartment of unusual size and decorated
with shells festooned from the rafters. Other
evidences of feminine taste showed that its
owner was of the highest rank.
A wide couch of fine mats filled a corner of




KELEA, THIE SURF-RIDER OF MAUI. 25


the room.   On this, the wahines asked
Hookama to lie down, that they might apply
to him the lomi-lomi process, by which the
muscles are made soft and supple and the
circulation of the blood quickened.
The girls annointed his body with fragrant
oils; then they applied their strong hands to
the flesh, working the joints and manipulating
the muscles, all the while murmuring a chant
as their bodies swayed to and fro in their work.
The theme of their improvised measure was
the shark-god, Kamzo/to-alii, who could take on
a human form at will, and frequented the
waters around Maui; they assumed that
Hookama was this god and that he sent away
the shark that pursued Kelea, by his superior
authority.
When Hookama was rubbed and polished
to his supreme refreshment and content, Kelea
took his place for the same enjoyable ministrations, and he went out to take a good look
at Waihee and its surroundings.
Waihee Valley! How can it be described?
a paradise of verdure, with a ravine carpeted
in moss and decked with wild begonia; trailing vines and towering ferns, with the scarlet
blossoms of the lezua tree on every side;
picturesque, tropical, overshadowed by a lofty
mountain, and the ocean lapping its shores.




26


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Few places, even in Hawaii, equal it in its variety and beauty of scenery.
There were numerous grass houses; the
best of them for the chief and his attendants,
and a hundred inferior huts for the natives.
It puzzled the young alii (chief) that there
were no canoes on the shore, no men lounging
about and no women in the taro patches.
To be sure, it was early in the day, but not
too early for village life. It was not long,
however, before Hookama saw the bent form
of an old man, with grisly beard, and a stick
in his hand, emerging from one of the better
class of the grass houses.
It proved to be a priest, left in charge of the
heiau, or sacrificial temple. From him Hookama learned that the apparent desertion of
the village was caused by the news of an impending battle, twelve or fifteen miles to the
south.  Kahekili, the king of this island of
Maui, was awaiting an attack from the King
of Hawaii, whose movements had been made
known to him only a few days before.
" Even now," said the old man, " the canoes
of the feather-war-capes are mirrored in the
waves, and," covering his eyes with his shaky
hand, " I see a bloody field and the heiau altars piled with victims."
Further conversation made Hookama ac



KELEA, THE SURF-RIDER OF AIA UI.


27


quainted with the expected arrival of his own
king, Kahahana, the young wmoi of Oahu, who,
as he knew, had left his own island the previous week, with a large reinforcement of warriors, to aid Kahekili, King of Maui, his wife's
half-brother.
The aged priest pointed to a small heiau,
and said he must go and pray for success to
the arms of his chief; he also informed the
youth that the chief to whom the King of
Maui had given this beauitful estate of Waihee, hastily departed with all his men, his
wives and servants, the day before. The
infirm and some women and children had been
sent with a guard to the hills. His daughter,
Kelea, and the younger daughters of the lesser
chiefs of the settlement remained.
" What," asked Hookama, "with you alone
for a guard? As well leave tender fowls in
charge of a toothless dog!"
" Ah!" answered the priest, "well enough
may the soft plumaged birds stay with an old
dog like me, unless a bird-catcher chances to
set his wily snares for their capture;" and he
looked at Hookama with a glance full of
meaning, the word " bird-catcher," spoken at a
venture, having brought a flush to the young
man's cheek. By that word, the youth was
sure that the old man was a Kehuna-nui, a
diviner and sorcerer.




28


KELEA: THE SURFRIDER.


But the news of an imminent battle and of
his moi's expected arrival on the scene, a few
hours' march away, changed the whole current
of his thoughts and plans. Hastily bidding
the old priest "Beware of bird-catchers, and
look well to the alae (sacred birds) and especially to the uai (a bird living near the water),"
he hurried back to the house where he had
left Kelea. Entering hastily he beheld her
braiding her luxuriant tresses with bright flowers and displaying charms which he had but
partially seen before. The delicate tint of her
cheeks was heightened by the loni-lomi process, and the softness of her eyes increased
the young man's admiration as she met his
gaze with an answering look of gratitude and
constraint.
Hookama broke the silence when Kelea arose
from the couch, as Hawaiian women always
did in presence of their lords, by saying:" Yonder mountains are bright with the
splendor of a victory; Hookama is no slave
even to the uauz with soft plumage, that he
should not serve her king and his own. Kelea
is a pleasant name: it is like the ripple of the
sea on the sands, but shall the spear be buried under the foam-crests because the birdnote casts a spell over the young warrior's
heart? "




KELEA, THE SURF-RIDER OF MAAUL.


29


The maiden saw in an instant what he meant,
and that, though she fascinated him, he intended to tear himself away from her to do
battle for his king. But it was not in her nature to repress the passions of her soul, for
was she not the favorite and spoiled daughter
of a great chief, and had not this handsome
youth saved her from the awful shark-god,
who would have carried her to the coral groves,
his victim and his bride! Prompted by some
quick intelligence of an easy conquest, the
girl, with the right which Hawaiian women
had to woo a backward lover for themselves,
impetuously flung herself upon the halfabashed Hookama, and, before he could avoid
her swift caress, he found himself a captive,
the eyes of Kelea gazing fondly into his own,
her rosy fingers clasping him and her wavy hair
falling over his shoulders, as she laid her head
on his breast and defied him to leave her.
She had already sent away the girls who attended her and when Hookama had returned,
there was no one to intrude upon the scene.
For an instant he hesitated and the girl
might have claimed him as her own by further
advances, had not the passionate words springing to his lips been interrupted by a rush of
footsteps and a hum of voices, as the whole
party of wa/zines flocked pell-mell into the




30     KIELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


house, clamoring for Kelea to come out and
command the old priest to promise not to tell
the chief that a young man had spent the day
with them.
"The old kehuna," they cried, "will do
what his royal mistress bids him; or if he
won't, she can make this alii from Oahu kill
him, and we'll feed him to the sharks. Come,
come, Kelea, come quickly, and save us from
the miserable informer!"
But the baffled girl, her eyes blazing and her
breast heaving like a tempest; abashed, too,
at being discovered with her arms about the
stranger, called out in shrill tones, "Away,
away! Save you from the tabu / no, no!
The kehuna will keep his clutch on me, for he
has an old grudge against me already. If he
can hurt me through you, he will be satisfied.
Away with you all! What is a score of
wahines like you to a moi's daughter like me! "
She hardly knew what she was saying, so violent was her anger.
Then she drew herself up to her full stature,
which gave her the dignity of an outraged
queen; the maidens fled before her and in the
seclusion of a neighboring grove continued
their wailing cries. The old priest, meanwhile,
ascended to the heiau, muttering maledictions
on man or woman who defied the tabu.




KZELEA, THE SURF-RIDER OF MAUI.  31


This new attitude of Kelea not only restrained Hookama from further dalliance but
revealed to him the need of caution. Could
he enter into any intimate relations with a
woman who showed such supreme temper and
malignity in her nature towards those who
opposed her will?
" How different she is," he thought, as the
vision of one whom he had left behind flashed
across his memory, " from my ' Flower of Love'
in far off Oahu!"
It was therefore with something like a
repellant feeling that he looked at Kelea, as
his apprehensions deepened with the girl's increasing wrath. His great desire now was to
break away from the passionate creature who
had revealed to him the darker side of her
nature. While he could not help admiring her
magnificent manner, her violence quenched the
transient fascination which had cast its spell
over him. But he craftily spoke honeyed words;
bade her wait for his return, when as a victorious warrior he might lay his trophies at her
feet. He vowed most solemnly by the god of
war and a thousand deities besides, that he
would come back and be her captive, if she
would let him go to join her father and his own
king, the moi of Oahu. " No warrior," he said,
"will turn to love when the battle calls him."




32     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


"What do you give me in pledge of your
promise?" asked the excited girl.
He had nothing except the shark's tooth
dagger, but this he yielded readily and Kelea
hid it away in the thatch of the wall, close by
her couch.
" Remember," she said, as she touched noses
with him for the last time and reluctantly released him from further embraces, "remember that Kelea will claim half your name (the
bride-token), even if you flee from her to the
farthest island towards the setting sun."
Hookama, glad to be released on any terms,
hurried to the beach, replaced the mast, the
calabash and other effects which the wahzzies
had scattered around the canoe, and, setting
the sail, after a last wave of his hand to Kelea,
bade adieu, as he hoped forever, to the sweet
valley of Waihee, where he had met with such
unexpected and surprising adventures.




CHAPTER III.


NUMUKU, A CHIEF OF OAHU.
UNTIL very recently, the foster father of
Pu' Aloha, if we may call by that name one
who was meditating marriage with the maiden,
had given no thought to the companionship
that existed between her and the bird-catcher.
His mind being now warped by the hints
thrown out by Paao, he watched the girl in the
absence of Hookama and vowed a rich malo
for the loins of his god if the youth did not
come back alive.
He was too shrewd to give the least hint to
Pu' Aloha of his displeasure; on the contrary
he showed her special favor. He sent a bracelet of priceless shells to her house and planted
a tabu pole in front of her door, as a mark of
unusual attention. By this carved stake, ornamented at the top with a small streamer of
white tapa, the house was tabu (forbidden)




34


KIELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


to any one but himself. Whoever intruded
was liable to suffer death, and the pole could
be removed only by his own hand.
The girl was pleased at this mark of regard and
wove a special wreath of lehua blossoms with
which to receive him. The uncouth, bronzed
bulk of the old savage contrasted strangely
with the lovely figure of the maiden, as she
rose at his coming and placed the chaplet over
the chief's neck. There was a trace of nobility
under the rude lines of the man's face, and, as
he looked into the frank eyes of the girl, the
suspicion he had harbored almost disappeared
from his mind.
Something in her beauty overawed his
nature, accustomed as he was to the coarse
surroundings of his life. Were it not that
two of his front teeth were gone, knocked out
years before during the funeral obsequies of
his predecessor, his smile might have been
attractive as he recognized that his captive
had grown into a young woman of surpassing
loveliness. Even a savage may be conscious
of a certain kind of inferiority in presence of
so fair a creature.
He felt a thrill through his pagan soul and
wondered if somehow a goddess were not
imprisoned in this beautiful body. He had
heard of such transformations, and for the
moment was overcome by a feeling of awe.




NUMUKU, A CHIEF OF OAHU.


35


Seeing his peculiar expression, Pu' Aloha
conceived the idea that she had a power over
her master which he could not resist. She
had a consciousness that she might control his
actions, and it at first gave her the momentary
enjoyment of a sense of undefined authority,
without the least desire to exercise it. An
instant later, she determined to use her power
to make her union with Hookama sure.
Like a flash of dazzling light she sprang forward, seized a yellow mantle from the swinging line of twisted cocoa fibre above her head,
and with a gesture of feigned deference, put
it about the naked shoulders of the chief.
Then drawing back, she bent a knee and
saluted him as she had seen his retainers bow
when he passed by.
A perplexed look came into his eyes as he
sat down on a heap of mats. The maiden
seated herself beside him, as she had often
done, and playfully clasped her arms about the
savage, fixing her eyes steadfastly on his.
Nestling closely-for had he not always been
kind to her?-she told him all the story of
her new feeling for Hookama. It was the
artless talk of a child who did not dream that
it was wrong or contrary to his wishes for her
to love the playmate of her youth; and yet
there was a shyness in her manner which




36       KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
made her speech rather hesitating and broken;
a sort of natural modesty that added depth to
her words. While she continued her confidences she hid her face in a fold of the soft
mantle, so that she did not see the storm
gathering on Numuku's forehead.
She had no time to finish her story with
the request that she might have the young
bird-catcher for her own. She felt the thumping of the massive chief's heart, and his body
swayed under her clasp, while an impatient
grunt issued from his lips, as if a latent evil
spirit worked within him.
Perceiving this unexpected change, and
dreading what it might portend, she faltered
in her speech for a moment and the next was
at his feet, embracing his knees. Shaking her
off, the chief arose to his full height; the tabu
stick which he had brought in his hand fell to
the ground; the mantle dropped and the tall
figure towered above the prostrate girl.
Terrified beyond measure, Pu' Aloha cowered
upon the floor, not daring to raise her eyes to
the face of the displeased chief. Why he was
angry with her she did not know. It was the
shrinking away from the gaze of its master of
a dog that has received a blow without understanding why it was given.
But when Numuku made an angry gesture,




NUMVKU, A CHIEF OF OAHU.


37


leaning toward her with a manner full of warning, she leaped to her feet, and, regaining her
self-command, drew herself up with the air of
a queen and disdainfully confronted him. She
looked at him with superb scorn, as much as
to say: " Touch me as you would touch a
goddess."
Then softening, and remembering that her
power lay in her fascination, she asked in
soothing tones: "Why look thus terribly on
me, thy flower of love (pua aloha)? What has
the tender blossom done to cause the storm to
burst upon it? "
The chief, in sputtering gutturals, too angry
to speak clearly, replied in a single word which
he spit at her; it was the name of him she
loved —Hookama! But the way he uttered it,
as if he loathed the man who loved the flower
to which he had no claim, nerved the heart of
the girl. Realizing the true object of his wrath,
the courage of her now fully-blossomed love
enabled her to confront the savage without a
tremor or a fear:
"Deny me, O Numuku, and I defy you! "
She snatched a shark's tooth dagger from
the thatched wall where its handle protruded,
and held its point to her breast, as she retreated
with her eye on the chief.
Amazed at her intrepid spirit, with the cun



38     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


ning of his race the strong man assumed the
manner that was usual with him in her presence
and burst into a loud laugh-a guffaw it might
better be called-and, quietly settling down
again upon the mats, shook his sides as if trying to suppress his mirth.
" It was my jest with you, child! To see
what stuff was in you. My little flower, think
you the lightning strikes a leaf when it can
rend a pandanus tree? I would defend you
even against the great god Lono. Hookama
is my adopted, just as you are."
Then drawing her to him, leaving the sharp
dagger in her hand as if it were a plaything
which it did not concern him to notice, he laid
his large, hard hand, which had wielded many
a weapon, soothingly on her fair head.
"The man that harms thee is doomed to
the 'breaking of bones' before the sun goes
down."
Seeing that she was reassured by his words
and manner, he proceeded to tell her of a custom in the land which allowed a woman two
protectors; one, to be like the personal attendant of a chiefess; the other, a lover to whom
the woman is consecrated by a ceremony.
Both are equal in a sense, but with unequal
privileges unless the woman wills-otherwise.
" Trust me, my Aloha! " concluded the old




NUMUKU, A CHIEF OF OA U.


39


deceiver, making a grimace under his mask of
smiles, but unperceived by the girl whose face
was hidden in her hands: " I will be your protector. Hookama shall be your servant-your
bamboo flute, to play on as you list-your
lover if you will-while I defend you both
against all ill."
The gutturals and croaks of the old man
were as music to the ears of Pu' Aloha, for they
told her that Hookama would be hers. The
custom of the land made no difference to
her and awakened no repelling emotion, since
she hardly thought of it in her ecstasy of
hope.
Springing again to her feet, she gracefully
twisted her body as if to inaudible music, in
token of her desire to please the old man who
sprawled on the mats. Then roguishly eyeing
him, she took the wreath from his neck and
scattered the thousand fragrant petals over the
room, finally tripping from the house to sit
down under the spreading branches of her
favorite hao tree and think over the blissful
future. She had quite forgotten even the existence of Numuku.
As for him, no sooner had her form faded
into the evening twilight than he gathered
himself up, pulled his great ears and went to
his own house.




40      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
Once inside and the tapa across the doorway,
he clutched a two-handed club, swung it
around his head in a frenzy of fury, as if slaying an imaginary foe. The contortions of his
face showed that wrath overmastered for the
time any tender feeling towards his adopted
child, who up to this hour had been as the
apple of his eye.
At last, regaining a measure of composure,
with a scowl which by no means heightened
the beauty of his countenance, he muttered to
himself: " Priceless feathers in the helmet of
my god, when Hookama's heart is torn out
by the roots and laid on the altar!"  With
that he tumbled in a heap, and the guard
who had come to the door knew by the accustomed sounds that the chief had departed
to the land of unquiet dreams. The souls of
sleepers were supposed to leave their bodies,
to wander in realms remote and sometimes not
the most agreeable.
This time, Numuku's soul went forth into
the night, attended by sounds as harmonious
as the blare of the conch shell, calling warriors
to the battle.
The old fellow had his moods. Unless angry,
he was good natured. By no means was he as
cruel as many of the chiefs. He had also considerable self-control when he could gain his




NUMUKU, A CHIEF OF OAHU.     41
ends by holding in his wrath. Usually indolent, apparently indifferent, he ruled his subjects leniently enough, provided they brought
him the regular supply of food and drink.




CHAPTER IV.


THE BATTLE OF THE SAND IILLS.
HOOKAMA, having started from Waihee in
the morning and having less than ten miles to
sail in a southeasterly direction, arrived before
the sun was high, in the offing outside Kahului Bay.
Here an exciting scene presented itself.
Hundreds of war-canoes, double and single,
some with triangular sails set and pennons
flying, some propelled by a score of warriors,
were hurrying towards the beach, their pace
accelerated by a fresh wind from the north.
The sea/was covered with white caps and the
billows rolled high, their crests often enveloping in foam the frail crafts that battled with
them for the mastery.
Bronze figures, with red and yellow feather
helmets, stood erect in their canoes, steering
with paddles and apparently oblivious of the




THE BATTLE OF THE SAND HILLS.   43
spray dashing over them, intent only on distancing their competitors in the race and eager
to arrive first at the only opening through the
breakers, which was so narrow that only one
double canoe could enter with safety.
Tying a red streamer to his mast, in token
of his rank, Hookarma, whose craft was the
only canoe with one occupant, steered boldly
among the competing boats, and making better
time than the rest, reached the entrance in advance of many whom he passed in the race.
One burly chief, with tattoo marks all over
his body, called out, banteringly, "What shell
of an egg are you riding, my apapalni (little
song-bird)?  Better straddle a honu (turtle)
and try a race with your kaztu (nurse)!" But
when Hookama passed him, with the twenty
paddlers vainly trying to forge ahead, and
called out in reply, " Ha, ha! my hoko-lcle
(meteor); ask the women to put on your malo
for you, the next time you risk a sea-voyage."
The chief scowled at him and flung a javelin
which passed harmlessly over his head and was
caught by Hookama's left hand on the other
side. Calmly placing the trophy in the bottom
of his canoe, the young sailor bounded over
the waves, reached the entrance and had
beached his canoe and stowed away the mast,
long before the irate and discomfited chief had
crossed the outlying breakers.




44       KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
A multitude of war-canoes, and canoes laden
with provisions, calabashes, live pigs and
bananas, were drawn up on the beach, and
thousands of warriors from the northern coast
of Maui, assembling at the command of the
king of Maui, were hurrying to and fro, adjusting their malos and weapons, gesticulating and
singing rude songs, pushing each other angrily
or playfully, and gathering into squads under
their respective leaders. It was a mighty
surge of dusky tribesmen from the most turbulent island of the group, Maui being noted for
its independent alis (chiefs) and its irrepressible tumults.
Awaiting the arrival of the chief who had
hurled his javelin at him, Hookama at his approach calmly held out the weapon by its
point and politely begged the owner to try his
luck again, assuming an attitude a few paces
off with his arms folded and with right leg
advanced. The alii, who had evidently imbibed too much awa on the voyage, eagerly
grasped the weapon by the handle, as offered
by Hookama, and with a fierce imprecation
launched it at his sneering foe.  Hookama
caught it in a twinkling with his left hand,
flung it back with his right, and the red
feathered helmet on the warrior's head was
pierced through in its upper part, too high to




THE BATTLE OF THE SAND HILLS.   45
wound its wearer, but with a force which unsettled the tipsy warrior's gravity and caused
him to totter on his feet.
Just then, as luck would have it, a porker,
which had been landed from a canoe near by,
ran headlong beneath the chief's legs and finished the incomplete result by sending the
huge bulk of the azli sprawling on the beach.
Then the warriors, who had come in the
double canoe with the chief, and who had
hardly taken in the situation, so quickly was
the affair over, poised their spears and would
have hurled them at the audacious youth, had
not a score of other warriors immediately surrounded Hookama and called on the alii's
retainers to hold their hands.
The crowd laughed heartily and called out,
"Sharpen their fingernails and let them fight
it out. The young one is an alii too, and no
fool." This turned the tide in Hookama's
favor, although the outraged chief, regaining
his feet, insisted on a swift retribution by his
men. Finally, however, he called off his warriors and was led away by two of them, every
now and then turning back to curse the " dog
of a pig" that had served him such a trick.
As the king of Oahu, Kahahana, had not yet
arrived from Molokai, where he stopped on
his way to quell an insurrection, Hook



46      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


ama left his canoe in charge of one of the keepers of the war-canoes on the beach, and, taking
his weapons and effects, set out for the high
land where, he was told, a camping ground
had been selected for the expected warriors
from Oahu.
On reaching the plateau west of the village
of Waikapu, about a mile and a half from the
shore, the youth's eye roamed ever a marvellous extent of country. He noted mainly the
military advantages of the situation. His
heart was swelling with a proud ambition to
partake of the glory of the coming fight.
He learned from one of the warriors of Maui
that an old, restless and bloody chief from the
neighboring island of Hawaii had already
landed at Maalaea Bay, which is situated be.
tween East and West Maui, on the southern
shore. The island of Maui has, on the map,
something of the shape of a trowel, the handle
being the smaller western end and the blade
the larger eastern part. Between the handle
and blade, so to speak, is an isthmus, about
twelve miles across from Maalaea Bay to the
Bay of Kahului, where Hookama landed when
he arrived from Waihee.
The isthmus is a mile or two of varying
width, between fertile plains and lofty mountains on the east, and less lofty but equally




THE BATTLE OF THE SAND HILLS.  47


romantic ranges on the west. It is an uneven,
sandy plain, swept by strong winds.
The next day opened in peerless beauty.
Winds from the northwest lifted the light
sands of the plain and fretted the fronds of the
palms, but not a cloud appeared in the sky.
There was the bustle of forces marshalling in
the camp of the king of Maui, though not a
single warrior appeared in the plains. The
army, hearing that the Hawaiian enemy had
started from Maalaea Bay, was lying in ambush
among the sand dunes in the form of a semicircle. Now and then, a scout stole along the
edge of the valley, or through the salt marshes
and jungles.
The king of Hawaii sent this day only
eight hundred of his bravest warriors to cross
the sandy isthmus, intending to follow on the
next day with his whole army. These doughty
Hawaiian braves were a picked body, called
the Alapa, the flower of the army, all equal
in height and with spears equal in length.
They grimly jested as they set out on the
wearisome march, and expected to return with
many prisoners for sacrifice to the gods.
At the other end of the isthmus the army of
Maui was equally confident. Hookama, as his
king had not yet arrived, was stationed with a
band of Mauians in the reserve. The king of




48      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
Maui stood on one of the highest sand hills,
where, hidden from those coming from the
south, he could be seen by his own men, and
also obtain a good view down the valley.
As the Hawaiian Alapa struggled forward
through the sand, which the sun's heat made
oppressive, even these stout warriors became
somewhat weary, but not one lagged behind.
Occasionally, the whole phalanx broke out
in war-songs to cheer their toilsome way.
Towards noon, Hookama, straining his eyes
southward, saw a faint cloud of dust rising in
the distance. Soon, as the solid ranks came
in sight, moving with quicker step, the ambushed warriors of Maui could hardly repress
their admiration at the magnificent sight.
"These are no dogs of foeman," said Hookama, to a chief near by. " They are sons of
gods." Usually, before a battle, leading chiefs
stood forth, bandying taunts, and finally hurling spears at each other, as a signal to begin
the fight.  But no  challenge came from
either side, because the advancing company of
grim warriors saw no army in array against
them.  They heard no sound and saw no
spear.
It was a grand spectacle, as the A/apa halted
for a moment, looking around them for an
enemy to attack. A few of the leaders wore




THE BA TTLE OF THE SAND HILLS.  49
helmets, and brilliant malos around their loins,
but the rank and file were naked, free, adorned
only with their spears, war-clubs and daggers.
Suddenly, from the summit of a low sand
hill, abreast of which the main body of the
Hawaiian Alapa had come, uprose a mighty
form, black as night save for the crimson
helmet on his head, and holding a ponderous
spear, twenty feet in length, in his right hand.
With a voice like the roar of a cataract, the
huge warrior shouted to the astonished hostile
phalanx, which halted by a common impulse:
" Fly, thieves, plunderers! fly to your miserable moi, and tell him that he sneaks in his
canoe with the wa/zines, and dare not lead his
men to meet the wild boars of Maui! Begone,
or let the sand be your graves, and the heiau
yonder drink your blood! "
Then, as Kahekili lifted his spear and flourished it above his head, from out their coverts
sprang a thousand spearmen, with but a few
hundred yards between them and the advanceranks of their mighty adversaries.
With admirable coolness, the Alapa formed
in serried lines to meet the onset. Before the
warriors of Maui came near enough to hurl
their spears, a shower of javelins fell upon
them, flinging the foremost in great numbers
to the ground and causing those behind to fall




50       KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
over them, so fierce and headlong was the attack.
Then in savage fashion, man to man and foe
to foe, in grapple and in dagger-thrust, the
braves of Hawaii rushed on the assailants who
had been thrown into momentary confusion.
Behind these stalwart Hawaiian chiefs pressed
their followers, throwing spears and javelins
at the rear ranks of the warriors of Maui, while
with diabolical yells and a simultaneous movement, the entire body of the eight hundred
rushed upon the dead, the dying and the living, giving no quarter to the wounded, slaughtering and trampling on their foes; as wild a
tumult of carnage as was ever wrought on
plain or in valley of these islands, more fruitful in bloody frays than they were lovely in
crimson and carnation flowers.
Small chance then for the display of personal courage or skill; it was a me/de rather
than individual passages at arms; the Alapa
shook off their assailants as infuriated tigers
shake off packs of hounds; and they were rushing so furiously after the fugitives, that no one
of them perceived the approach, stealthily as
prowling panthers, of another band of spearmen coming upon them from the rear.
These new foemen had risen, as it were, out
of the sands of the desert, to strike them from




THE BA TTLE OF THE SAND HILLS.


5I


behind before they could recover from their
first great effort against the unexpected assault in front. The Alapa had hurried forward too heedlessly in the flush of their success, when their wary antagonists fell upon
their flank and buried spears and javelins in
the back of many a warrior who could have
met and parried the weapons easily if fighting
face to face.
Not yet, however, were the giants of Hawaii
overcome or vanquished. Nearly the whole
force of Kahekili was needed to destroy these
war-seasoned veterans.  The air was filled
with flying spears and javelins. War-clubs descended on the heads and shoulders of the combatants like hammers upon the anvil. When
darts and spears failed, and the short sword or
dagger was broken, the mighty champions
grappled in deadly struggle, often falling together in death on the sand slippery with
blood.
It was not a brief conflict; hour after hour
passed, and it was noon before the frenzied
combat ended.   No warrior of the Alapa
wavered or fled. Two of them were somehow
pushed out into the plain in the rear of the
combatants, and seeing no reinforcements
coming up the valley and with no chance left to
ward off absolute annihilation of the Hawai



52


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


ians, they left the field as a shout of triumph
and the cry "Beaten, beaten! " went up to
heaven. These two were the only ones of the
proud eight hundred to carry the news back
to the Hawaiian host.
During the progress of the terrible battle
the warriors in reserve and their chiefs could
scarcely restrain themselves from rushing into
the conflict. Had not the command of the
king been absolute and the penalty of disobedience death, it would have been impossible
for the chiefs to hold back their men. They
became more and more furious, and raged
about the camp like caged tigers. Tleir thirst
for blood and their desire to join the fray
made them frantic. Their cries and imprecations were fearful, as they stamped and brandished their spears and clubs. Finally, when
they saw the last of the Alapa sinking on the
ground, the tabu having come to an end, they
rushed down among the victorious Mauians
and danced over the wounded and the slain,
utterly beside themselves.
Hookama, as one of the reserved contingent,
had no choice during the battle except to remain passive.  With other young chiefs in
the reserve, he stood apart and viewed the
scene, quivering with excitement. When the
battle was over, he remained apart, for he felt




THE BA TTLE OF THE SAND HILLS.


53


a new sensation, almost amounting to repulsion, as the fight seemed to him like a
slaughter of brave men caught in a trap. An
ambuscade was a kind of warfare hitherto unknown to him, and from that hour he hated
Kahekili, the king of Maui, with his whole
soul, looking upon his hordes as if they were
assassins.
The Hawaiian army had lost but a fraction
of its force in the destruction of the eight hundred. Its king received the news with surprise but recovered his composure as his
thoughts turned to revenge. Another equally
strong and brave band remained, the Piipii,
gigantic chiefs, veterans, anxious to avenge
their comrades. Besides, the bulk of the army
had not been in the battle and all were animated with a frenzy of desire to meet the hated
foe. The priests went among the warriors, urging them to fight with courage and declared
the omens from the gods propitious.
In the camp of Kahekili there was great rejoicing over the destruction of the renowned
Alapa, even though the victory had cost the
lives of many braves, and not one of the eight
hundred had fallen into their hands to be
offered alive, the most acceptable sacrifice to
the gods. The king's slaves cleared the battlefield of the bodies of his slain. His wounded




54      AELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
were carried to the village of Wailuku, or laid
beside the Waikapu stream where the cool
water from the hills assuaged their sufferings.
During the evening, after the battle, the
warriors of Oahu, led by their king Kahahana,
arrived from Molokai and were assigned their
quarters. The king received his subject, Hookama, very cordially. This king was a young
man, amiable and brave, but weak as an administrator in the affairs of his kingdom, over which
he had been placed by Kahekili, his brother-inlaw. He had noticed Hookama during recent
events at Oahu and had conceived a high idea
of his ability and courage. As the adopted
son of Numuku, who was staunch and loyal,
the youth had often been at the royal house.
Especially after his last exploit as a scout, the
king took a strong liking to him and showed
him great favor at court.
He now made a confidant of him, and treated
him more as a companion than a subject, having learned the secret of his exalted rank; a
secret known only to himself and Numuku,
Hookama having no knowledge of it whatever.
The two friends were talking over the battle together when they observed a warrior
climbing up to the crest where they stood.
The king at once recognized the royal mnoi of
Maui, Kahekili, to whom he presented Hook



THE BA TTLE OF THE SAND HILLS.


55


ama, as one of his bravest warriors from Oahu.
The moi received the youth with a courteous
salutation.
This remarkable chief's nature was full of
contradictions. He was calculating, cruel and
unscrupulous, but when he wished to attract
any one to himself, he could veil his craftiness
under a smile of the utmost affability.
His personal appearance was startling. Notwithstanding his conciliatory manner towards
Hookama, the young man thought he had
never seen such a hideous warrior. One half
of his face and body was tattooed in black
spots, a color sacred to the priests and the
highest chiefs. These spots gave him a most
repulsive aspect in spite of the brilliant mnalo
around his loins and his feather helmet with
blood-red plumes. Around his neck was hung
a hooked ornament, made from a whale's tooth
and suspended by braids of human hair.
Over his arm was flung a magnificent feather
cloak, which he had removed from his shoulders during his ascent of the hill.
" Aha! " said he to his noble brother-in-law.
"Your gallant chiefs have my thanks for their
prompt response to my summons. It is no
small thing to come across the channels to aid
me against the dastardly Hawaiians. They
shall see such a slaughter to-morrow as Oahu



56      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
ans have not witnessed since they were driven
from Molokai, when their king was sent to
join the long procession of ghosts. Pardon
me," he quickly continued, "I mean no disrespect for Oahuan bravery, but the sand hills
below us reminded me of the sands of Kawela,
even now full of half-buried Oahuan bones."
The cunning moi, choking down more sneering words that were almost spoken, then told
Kahahana the strategy of the coming battle
and accepted with ill-disguised disdain some
suggestions of the young king. Then he informed Kahahana that the warriors of Oahu
were not to enter the field at the first onset of
the Hawaiian army. He did not really mean
that they should fight at all if he could help
it. He wanted all the glory of the victory
for himself and his own men.
"I shall feel doubly secure of winning if I
can rely on such mighty allies in case of need,"
said he, " and you know, too, that as the heir
of my kingdom, [This was one of his treacherous promises] it would unnerve me for the
fight to think your royal life in danger.
But when I send you my messenger, then
spring forth like valiant sons of the god
of war and drink the blood of our common
foe. Till the message comes, hold your men
in check," and, without giving the young king




THE BA TTLE OF THE SAND HILLS.  57
time to demur, the stalwart chief sprang down
the slope with the agility of a wild goat.
The disappointed and humiliated king bit
his lips with vexation, cast an angry glance at
the receding form of his detested superior and,
muttering: "Why did he summon me, if not
to fight?" went back to his camp-tent, leaving
Hookama to his own reflections.




CHAPTER V.


SAVAGE CHIVALRY.
THE first streaks of the morning lighted up
the eastern sky as the thousands of fierce Hawaiians set out on the march which the grand
council of chiefs had decided upon. Many of
their wives accompanied them, with calabashes
and food. Some of these women fought that
day near their husbands, shielding them by
parrying hostile spears, or even hurling javelins
at the foe. Many a brave woman is celebrated
in the annals of Hawaii for her prowess in the
field.
The wily Kahekili again disposed his
warriors in a partial ambuscade, the reinforcements from Oahu being held in reserve, as he
had said. But the Hawaiians were not easily
entrapped a second time. Cautiously and
slowly they marched across the sandy levels of
the isthmus. When they arrived near to the




SA VA GE CHIVALR Y.


59


army of Maui, a herald was sent forward, with
a convoy of picked warriors, while the main
body halted, awaiting a movement from the
enemy.
Kahekili this time met the herald and,
surrounded by a strong body-guard, showed
his black side to the messenger and assured
him that the ovens of Maui were already
heated to roast the Hawaiian chiefs alive.
To this the herald was about to reply when
the leader of the escort, in a great rage, with the
fury of a whirlwind, hurled a massive spear at
the king, who dodged and left the weapon
sticking in the sand.
Then throwing his own ponderous spear,
which was caught by his opponent, he calmly
turned and took the weapon behind him, saying, as he tried its point and weight: " A fair
bargain, my alii! Now for the test." Immediately waving the spear high above his
head, from the plain behind him that part of
his army which was not in ambush rushed forward to the attack.
The shock between the foremost ranks of
of the two armies was terrific. Now began
a battle in the true Hawaiian way, hand
to hand. The valley was wide enough for
thousands to find room to engage in personal
contests. Chiefs stepped forward and chal.




60     KELEA THE SURF-RIDER.


lenged other chiefs. Then chief sprang to
help chief. The war-club and bone dagger
came into play. The retainers of the noble
combatants crowded each other and fought
hand to hand like their masters. The air was
full of flying weapons. Cries and imprecations
were heard on every side. The tumult became
as the noise of the surf on a rocky shore. A
body of slingers, with stones weighing a pound,
plied their whizzing volleys like hailstones on
their enemies, while the mountains echoed
back shouts and war cries.
The Hawaiians gained a slight advantage.
They were driving the enemy back step by
step, a mighty force pressing upon the front
ranks and reinforcing their onset. Suddenly,
from the sand hills, what seemed to be another
army appeared as if rising out of the ground.
Astonished but undaunted, the Hawaiian
chiefs in command gave the signal to spread
out the front ranks that the warriors in the
rear might come on and meet the charge of
this additional force. Then, with hoarse
voices, the disciplined Hawaiian legion, the
Piipii, rushed to the front through the opening,
to receive the wild warriors of Maui, coming
down like an avalanche from their hiding
places.
Great deeds of valor were done that day, on




SAVA GE CHIVALRY.


both sides. The combat waged hour after
hour. It appeared as if neither side would
yield until both were annihilated. Finally the
tide turned a little in favor of the Hawaiians.
Kahekili was himself well nigh spent with his
terrible work of hewing down whole ranks of
the enemy. He sent therefore a messenger,
at this juncture, to the king of Oahu, and the
eager warriors of his ally leaped into the field
and retrieved the fortunes of the day.
The Hawaiians did not flee, but after hundreds of the bravest fell on both sides there
was a lull in the conflict, many exhausted
warriors throwing themselves on the ground,
and others helping the wounded from the
gory field.
The women went among the warriors, offering them food and water. The wives of the
dead lifted up their voices in shrill, wailing
cries, while the sufferers stoically bore the
pain of their dreadful wounds. It was a
shocking sight. Wounds on naked bodies
looked ghastly and gaping.
Hookama had rushed in with the warriors
of Oahu and had fought at the side of his
king, defending him and at the same time
engaging many a chief in desperate conflict.
Towards the end of the battle, the young
brave singled out a herculean chief, who was




62      iELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


unwounded but apparently much wearied with
his tremendous efforts to save the day for the
Hawaiians. Taking with him a small band of
the Oahuans, Hookama determined to capture
this warrior alive, as a prisoner of war.
Calling loudly to the hostile chief to defend himself, as island warriors were wont to
challenge their equals, and followed by his
band, he hurried into the fighting crowd and
threw his spear with great force at the chief,
who proved to be no less a personage than the
chieftain in command of a large part of the
Hawaiian army. He was the famous giant of
Kona, who had pressed alone far into the
ranks of the foe.
The grim old veteran smiled as he caught
the spear and bade his youthful adversary not
to court an untimely death. Then, as Hookama advanced a little in front of his own
men, the gigantic hero hurled back the spear
with terrific swiftness, its point grazing the
shoulder of the impetuous youth, who dodged
just in time and escaped with a mere scratch.
The two men simultaneously seized their
long daggers and for a moment it seemed that
the younger must be instantly slain by his
huge opponent. But Hookama was fresher
and his skill with the knife was greater than
the chief surmised.




SAVAGE CHIVALRY.


63


Making a feint as if to strike in front,
Hookama, with wonderful agility, sprang to
one side as the giant thrust his dagger forward,
and, parrying the blow, struck at the chief
from the left a blow which would have reached
a vital part, had not the youth's foot slipped
on the bloody sand, causing him to sink partly
to his knees, leaving his antagonist unhurt.
Quick as thought, the veteran grasped the
heavy butt of a broken lance from the ground
and raised it to give a blow downward. The
young warrior would have passed to the land
of ghosts, had not his own warriors, unwilling
to see such a termination of the duel, rushed
in upon the mighty chief, front and rear; a
movement which gave Hookama time to fall
on the ground, lessening the full force of the
giant's stroke.
As it was, the blow stunned the youth and
he lay motionless on the sand, while the
Hawaiian battled with the Oahuans, calling on
some of the few men of his own band to hurry
to his assistance. These few Hawaiians made
a desperate effort to rescue their chief, but
were cut down to a man, notwithstanding the
death-dealing blows of the giant himself, by
which several of the Mauians were slain. It
would have fared hard with the doughty warrior, had not another chief of Hawaii, seeing




64      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
his imminent peril, cut his way, with several
of his body-guard, and just in the nick of time
added a new element to the conflict.
With renewed strength the giant seconded
his brave rescuer's onset and, together with
the remnant of Hawaiians that survived, the
two hewed their way through the enemy and
escaped. Is not this rescue of Kekuhaupio,
the mighty Hawaiian, by the great Kamehameha, who afterwards subdued all the islands
and became Lord of the whole group, celebrated in song by the bard Keaulumoku in
the legends of the land?
Hookama, more dead than alive, was carried
to the rear by two braves of Oahu. The blow
he had received on the head proved a severe
one, injuring him so much, that he fell into a
stupor from which it seemed impossible to
arouse him.
The king's own medicine-men, by his orders,
applied all their art to relieve him. They
used many remedies and the most approved
incantations. They prayed to numerous gods,
but without avail. The hut to which Hookama was carried was filled with the vile odor
of burning offal to propitiate the inferior
deities Every device was employed to expel
the bad spirit, which had entered the body of
the warrior and had caused all the mischief.




SA VA GE CHIVALR Y.


The great kah/una hoonoho (a famous spiritualistic exorciser), sought to reveal the " familiar"
that had bewitched the patient.
It was well that Hookama had an iron constitution; otherwise, the extraordinary performances in his hut would have speedily expelled the spirits that tormented him, along
with his own, and our story, so far as he is
concerned in it, would have to follow him to
the realm of Kane, the "hidden land," where
the good departed wander in a beautiful island,
abounding in cocoa-nut groves and all sensuous
delights. This indeed would not have been
unwelcome to the kahunas in charge, inasmuch
as burial services of chiefs always afforded
them a richer harvest. With a newly-departed
spirit of a chief, slain in battle, they might
keep it in their service, by preserving the
bones of its earthly tenement in a secret place.
They had already matured their plans, with
this end in view, making offerings to the gods
in advance, that no obstacle might be put in
their way.
Two days having passed, after a day of an
unusual amount of incantation and perfumery
in his hut, Hookama gave signs which the
kehunas interpreted as positively preceding
death. He suddenly relapsed into absolute
unconsciousness and, with eyes closed, was




66     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


growing rigid; his fists were clenched and his
limbs drawn up tightly.
Word was sent to Kahahana, the friendly
king of Oahu, who came at once and stood beside the young alii, gazing sadly on the handsome face which had greeted him with genial
smiles. The king lost some of his best warriors in the recent battle, but was more deeply
moved by the expected death of Hookama,
for whom a great affection had sprung up in
his heart and from whom he hoped to have
sympathy and aid in the days of danger which
he foresaw with deep anxiety. Turning away,
he gave orders that funeral rites be given to
the brave warrior, as soon as death came, much
to the satisfaction of the medicine-men and
their attendants.
The great battle having been at last decided
in favor of the king of Maui, the Hawaiians,
bearing with them their wounded, retired
to their canoes in Maalaea Bay, and the
chiefs in council learned from the priests that
their defeat was the will of the gods, to which
it would be wise to bow, inasmuch as there
was no help for it and not enough of an army
left in fighting condition to renew the struggle.
A treaty was arranged between victor and
vanquished, in which the king of Hawaii agreed




SA VAGE CHIVALRY.


67


to leave Kahekili in peaceable possession of
his kingdom on the island of Maui. This
solemn promise, ratified by the sacrifice of
human beings, the king of Hawaii kept
as faithfully as a believer in the Hawaiian
deities usually kept his compacts; but, being
a revengeful pagan, he forgot to keep it, as
soon as he was strong enough to attempt
another raid.
The battle of the Sand Hills was the deathblow of the proud, superior race which formed
the real nobility of the land. " Their brawn
and brain and vitality typified the enduring
forces in an otherwise shattered and enfeebled
race. Every one of them was needed in the
struggle of the nation to survive. It was a
fine example of heroism, but at an awful cost
to the physical stamina and fibre of an already
stricken race."




CHAPTER VI.


KELEA IN THE VALE OF IAO.
A MESSENGER having brought to Waihee
the news of the first day's victory over the
Hawaiians, the maiden Kelea managed to
escape the vigilance of the old priest. Taking
two of her wahines with her, she climbed the
hills and forded the streams between Waihee
and Wailuku, where at last she found her
father, unhurt but bewailing the loss in battle
of several of his bravest warriors.
He was angry with Kelea for coming, but
having no one whom he could spare to send
back with her, he told her to keep with the
women till the next day's fight was over.
Kelea's mother had died some years previously, and the girl was, in a way, at the head
of her father's household.  At the women's
camp, she was her own mistress and had her
own maids. The women told her grewsome




KELEA IN THE VALE OF IAO.


69


stories of the fight. She assisted them in
caring for the wounded, and then withdrew
with her attendants to a hut which she selected,
on an eminence back of the main camp, where
she was not likely to be disturbed. She obtained a tabu pole from her father and placed
it before her door.
Kelea was named for a beautiful and capricious sister of an ancient king of Maui. Hawaiian legends tell of this royal maiden, as a wayward princess, petted and spoiled, but the
most graceful and daring surf-swimmer in the
kingdom. Her admirers, who watched and
applauded her bold sport in the waves, were
half inclined to believe that she was the friend
of some water god, a supposition more credible
because of her rejection of many suitors.
She was finally carried off as the bride of a
chief of Oahu, and her adventures on that
island form a very romantic story. This
volatile woman was a remote ancestress of
Kelea, whose father was also allied with the
ancient aliis of Maui.
The Kelea of our story was not a delicate
beauty like Pu' Aloha. She had a profusion of
raven black hair which came low over her forehead and when unbound fell below her waist.
Her eyes were full and lustrous; their dark
pupils could grow soft when her heart was




70     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


touched; her skin was light brown and surpassingly smooth; her nose was regular in shape
and her lips full; she bore herself like a stately
queen when she walked, and her robust bloom
made her a conspicuous figure among the
maidens of her tribe.
But she was haughty, imperious and capricious; often unmanageable even by her father.
He seldom could divert her from a purpose on
which she had fixed her will. Not overrefined in language, she could fascinate by her
words when she chose, and was as captivating
in manners towards her favorites as she was
passionate and pitiless to those who thwarted
her plans or wishes.
She was a fair type of the higher class young
women of her race. Her character was the
result of many pagan generations, with no restraining influences except the customs of her
people, and no elevating conditions except a
certain superiority which was the hereditary
quality of birth. The tone of life among the
people of Maui was somewhat lower than that
of the other islands. The men were more
ferocious and the women more perverse and
loose in manners.
Kelea's main reason for coming to the
camp was to obtain another meeting with
Hookama. She believed him capable of




KE~LEA IN THE VALE OF IA O.


71


doing wonders as a warrior and wished to witness his prowess. She was impatient of the
king's command that the men of Oahu be
held in reserve, but the bold rush of the allied
warriors towards the close of the battle roused
all the wild passions of her nature, and with
the women she entered the bloody field to
watch the conflict from a nearer point.
When at last the encounter between
Hookama and the gigantic warrior of Hawaii
ended with the collapse of the young alii, on
whom her eyes had been fastened with admiration, she could not restrain herself, but
rushed into the middle of the ensanguined
field; met the men who were carrying
Hookama away, and followed them, unnoticed
in the hurry and horror of the hour.
While the youth was in the hands of the
kehuunas, Kelea hovered about the vicinity,
hiding in the bushes of the crags above the
hut. She watched every movement; she
even tried to bribe the guards to admit her
into the house. They only railed at her and
bade her begone.
At last, on the day that the king came and
found Hookama apparently near his end, she
followed him and falling at his feet, confessed
her rank; related to him, as she passionately
wept, a false tale of love and adventure, and




72


KE LEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


entreated him by all the gods to let her carry
the inanimate form of her lover up to the
sacred rock in the vale of Iao, where he might
die in sight of the mausoleum of the deified
chiefs.
She also told him of a small house, where
some priests had lived near the sacred shrine,
but which was now unoccupied, and she
promised, as she clasped his knees in the agony
of her entreaty, that if Hookama died, she
would deliver his body to the kehunas for the
rites of burial worthy of an alii.
The king was touched by her indifference to
every consideration except that which was
prompted by her love, and the same night
sent Hookama in a litter to the place Kelea
had described. He himself went with the
bearers and met the girl, who with two of her
wahines were found waiting at the house above
the valley.
Every preparation had been made for the
sufferer's comfort: the couch of mats was underlaid with dry moss; calabashes with food,
kukui-nut torches and hangings of tapa, with
other needful articles, had been provided. The
wealthiest chief could have added nothing.
Kelea had festooned the hut with flowers
and there were mats on the floor, a great luxury.  These evidences of loving care made a




KELEA IN THE VALE OF IAO.


73


deep impression on the moi, and when the
maiden, after the bearers were sent away, sat
down by the inanimate form stretched on the
couch, the sight of her sorrow brought the
moisture to his eyes and he was in the mood
to grant her anything she desired.
He asked her if he could do more for her,
and she said " A tabu of the place, and may the
gods bless you forever! " The request was instantly granted. The spear which the moi
carried was planted before the door, and hung
with a white tapa streamer, thus providing for
the absolute seclusion and security of those in
the house.
As the king went out into the night, the
sound of the waterfalls came up from the valley and weird voices were wafted to his ears;
the tops of the koa trees rustled in the breeze.
In the midst of the ravine a pinnacle of rock
sentinelled the vale and its crystal summit
glistened in the moonbeams. When at last
the streaks of the coming dawn dissipated
the gloom of the night, the moi felt himself
drawn, in deeper sympathy than ever, towards
the two lovers as he supposed them to be.
Again entering the grass hut, to his amazement
and great joy he found Hookama sleeping; an
unquiet sleep, but with renewed pulse and
a regular beating of the heart.




74     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


The wahines had gently lomi-lomied his impassive body, arousing it to sensitiveness and
a better circulation. A kukui-nut torch gave
its feeble light, enabling the moi to observe
the favorable change and also to see Kelea's
graceful form, kneeling by the bed of mats,
holding the youth's hand in her own. A smile
of grateful pleasure lighted up her face as she
whispered her thanks to him and to the goddess Lilinoe of Haleakala, her patron deity.
Repeating his wish to hear often from the
patient, Kahahana took his way down the
path, with a lighter step and a more tranquil
heart.
The valley of Iao, on the island of Maui, is
among the most romantic gorges for which
this isle is famous. On the western end of
Maui, (the handle of the trowel, as seen on the
map), it lies directly west of the Wailuku pass;
the valley, broad as its opening, gradually becomes narrow and the Iao river follows its
tortuous course between palis (precipices) 4,000
feet in height. Stupendous peaks loom up to
a loftier elevation, their tops in the clouds.
Mauna Eke is the name given to the circular
range in the bosom of which lies the valley,
whose sides, moistened with mists and trickling streams, are perennially green.  Ferns
and convolvuli adorn the precipices; shining




HT.I )I1NSCII-,-IAO 5.AICSIEY




I.;   S -,  - i I  -   v-  I   < x
e   t x en d > } k                            -




KELEA IN THE VALE OF IAO.      75
leaves, delicately stemmed, tremble and gleam
with every breath of wind.
Through the opening to this romantic valley,
a pathway with a southern trend leads upward,
till the traveller emerges above the palis.
This path, following the irregular sides of
the cliffs, and climbing over crater-hills where
the lava once flowed, finally comes out at the
Olowalu pass, on the leeward side of Maui.
Thence it descends to the coast, at a point
seven or eight miles from Lahaina, an important village where the king of Maui kept his
court and harbored his canoes.
This rough and toilsome road was the nearest route from Wailuku, where the battle was
fought, to the southeast coast of the island,
and the pass nearest Wailuku was the scene in
after years of a terrific conflict, in which warriors climbed the path and clasped their foes,
to hurl them, or be hurled with them, into the
abyss below.




CHAPTER VII.


A MIDNIGHT ASSAULT.
IT was at the close of a calm, bright afternoon, two days after Hookama was brought to
the vale of Iao, that Kelea sat near the brink
of thepali, in front of the grass house where
Hookama was still lying in a condition of
semi-unconsciousness. With her two wa/zines,
she was weaving wild flowers into garlands,
now and then tossing stones over the precipice and listening to the sound as they
bounded from the sides of the ravine. The
air was melodious with occasional notes of
mountain birds and the music of falling streams.
Kelea was in a strange, uncertain mood, and
her eyes wandered off to the lofty tower of
rock, where, detached from the precipice on
the opposite side of the valley, it stood like a
warder, a thousand feet in height, its tapering
top roseate in the light of the declining sun.




A MIDNIGHT ASSA UL T.


77


The half-disc of the moon traced its pale outline on the blue sky, suggesting a night of
serenity and beauty.
Kelea's expression, restless and anxious,
was in strong contrast with that of the maidens, her attendants, who were carelessly happy,
as most native girls usually were. Their mistress, suddenly fixing her eyes on the point of
the rock where the sunset glow was rising to
the vanishing point, broke the silence, as if
speaking to herself, and said in a low tone: " I
wish I had not gone up the hill this afternoon."
One of the wahines ventured to reply:
"You told us to stay with the alii, or we
would have gone. Glad I wasn't down on the
plains. Did you see the funeral rites of the
dead warriors, my princess?  Horrid things!
cutting themselves, knocking out their teeth
after the war dance was over-and then it is
dreadful, the way they treat the women after
the dead are buried and they begin to drink
awa.
" Hush! " replied Kelea; " you talk too loud.
He might hear us. Come, go to your own hut
and I will see if the alii needs anything."
With that she led the way, wreath in hand, to
the large grass house which stood back from the
path.
Over the wall of the house clambered the con



78     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


volvulus with its bright blossoms. On either
side the door, was a halafpepe bush, with long
stems of lemon-colored flowers. As Kelea passed
through the entrance she was surprised to
find Hookama awake. It seemed as if his eyes
were intently fixed on her as she approached.
He appeared like one wakened out of too deep
a slumber, not quite aroused, but catching a
faint idea of her moving form. The contour
of her figure, outlined in the dim light through
the doorway, was all that was discernible; but
the glimpse of a female shape caused him to
strain his sight, while a smile spread itself over
his face, which bore the marks of a severe
struggle for existence.
With great effort he uttered, in a low tone,
the words, "Pu' aloha! oli, oli! " (the flower
of love! joy, joy!), and sank back, as if overcome by his endeavor, or by the emotion
which his voice expressed.
Instantly, Kelea, believing he had called her
"the flower of love," sprang toward him,
seated herself at his side, and took his hand tenderly in her own. His eyes sought hers in a
confused, wistful way, as if he would fain reveal
the fleeting impression which her coming had
made upon him a moment before; then they
closed, and he relapsed into his former halfconscious condition.




A MIDNIGHT A SSA UL T.


79


She called her zahizis and they used all their
skill in the loni-lonmi process till it was too
dark to see clearly in the hut. Their work
seemed to produce little effect. Hookama's
breathing was more regular, but he did not
awake. It was late when the two wahines
flung themselves on the mats in their hut,
where they soon fell fast asleep.
Kelea, torn with conflicting emotions, could
not sleep. Hookama's words had given her
new hope, but now perhaps he would die.
Was she lifted into this great happiness only
to have her lover ruthlessly snatched from her?
She raved against the gods one instant and
the next she supplicated their favor. Were
the gods as ugly as their images, and wholly
vengeful and implacable?  She had never
thought much about them, except that they
were always having bloody sacrifices offered to
them. One deity alone, the goddess Lilinoe
of Haleakala, appealed to her because she had
prayed to her once for a trifling thing which
had been granted.
After watching long beside Hookama, she
went out under the midnight moon to cool her
blood, or, if that were denied her, to give vent
to her feelings without restraint.
Sitting in the shadows, with the noise of
tumbling waterfalls in her ears, and now and




80


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


then the whirr of a bat passing through the
air, she was sensible only of her loneliness
and a dread of something that might happen.
The supernatural gave her no terror, but it afforded her no solace. The mountain peaks
arose around her and the moon plunged
through the fleecy clouds over her head, but
she heeded them  not.  Her strong frame
shook with the violence of her emotions;
emotions chiefly of wrath because of baffled
hopes-a strange gust of passion, sweeping
across her fiery soul as the cherished object
seemed slipping from its grasp.
She might have rocked herself till daylight,
uttering her moans and cries, had not her ear
caught the sound of a footstep coming near,
down the path. With the sound came the
shadow of a figure, which rapidly approached
at a swinging gait from the higher ground.
Her first impulse was to flee, in order to conceal herself from a stranger.
Hesitating an instant, it was too late, for
stalwart arms enfolded her before she could
rise, and she was forced down upon the
ground.
The place she had taken for her midnight
vigil was on the side of the rough road leading
along the heights and down through the pass.
It was at some little distance from the hut,




A MIDNIGHT ASSA UL T.


8i


which was now completely hidden in the
gloom of the night. She knew that wild and
reckless men traversed these lonely ways and
made forays by night into the valleys, but she
had trusted to the tabu for safety; now, her
only safety lay in her strength or her ability
to outwit the man who had come upon her,
as suddenly as a landslide.
She was used to rough treatment of a certain sort, and her muscular strength had often
vanquished, in rude games, the young aliis of
her tribe. It was not uncommon for women
of the islands to compete with the young men
in their rude sports, both in surf-riding, sliding down the hills on sledges, and even in
trials of brute force. If her assailant were alone
she did not fear him, and her instinctive presence of mind, joined with her courage, was
equal to almost any emergency.
Finding, however, that the sudden assault
was not as violent as it was abrupt, and that
he was no churl who held her fast, she decided
to try strategy instead of strength in order to
escape.
Laughing saucily in the man's face, which
she saw by the moonlight to be comely enough
and youthful, she allowed herself to remain
passive and waited for him to speak. She had
wound her mantle of tapa cloth closely about




82      KELEA; THE SURF-RIDER.


her body in the chilly atmosphere, and the sudden transformation from intense anguish to the
need of self-defence, put her at once in full
possession of her faculties.
She sat perfectly still so that the bold intruder, seeing that she offered no resistance
and that she could not rise quickly enough to
escape him, loosed his hold and began to
flatter her; " Kulia-nui (my beauty)," he said,
and she started as if he had spoken her own
name Kelea. Then he came a little closer to
her; began to praise her charms and finally
took hold of her mantle, as if he would unwind
it from her form. "Why does my beauty
watch so late, like the owl, if not in expectation of a lover? " he asked in a soft voice, as
he tried to unclasp her hands which clutched
her tapa. Finding her resolute, he was beginning to put forth more strength, when Kelea,
with a look of supreme indignation, sprang
from the earth before he could arrest her movements, and, with no careful choice of epithets,
defied him to touch her again. She was in no
mood for blandishments, but'ripe for strenuous
resistance. Not willing to be cowed by a
waline, the young fellow, having risen to his
feet, closed in upon her with the intention of
compelling her to sit down again. But her
temper was now at white heat. She struggled




A MIDNAIGiHT ASSA UL T,


83


violently against his attempt. It soon became
a contest between two fairly matched athletes.
Soon, however, the man, being somewhat
the stronger, was getting the better of the
woman, when, with a wild cry, she freed her
right arm and drew from the folds of her garment a short, white weapon and aimed a blow
at her assailant. He adroitly seized her arm
by the wrist, holding her hand aloft, and, with
his right arm tightly clasped about her waist,
succeeded in pushing her from the path and in
the direction of the pali.
The frantic woman, seeing the danger, but
maddened by the rough usage of her assailant,
whirled around and with all her force urged
the man towards the brink of the yawning
chasm, determined to push him backwards
into the gulf, even if with him she must fall to
meet a fearful death.
The two reeled and panted, on the very verge
of the precipice. With the awful fate threatening'them both in his mind, the man, by a
desperate effort, wrested the weapon from
Kelea and sent it flying while he grappled her
with both arms around the waist and succeeded in flinging her on the ground towards
the path, where she lay bruised and halfstunned by the violence of the fall.
Almost breathless from the struggle, her




84      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
assailant hardly gave a second look at his
victim, but, muttering to himself that the game
was not worth its cost, hastily started down the
pathway, which a little further on passed between two huge rocks, as if the ledge at that
point had been split in halves.
Glancing down as he started, he saw something white, glistening in the moonlight.
Without thinking much about it in the excitement of the moment, he stooped and picked it
up. Fastening it in his girdle, he hurried on
and was soon out of sight.




CHAPTER VIII.


PAAO, THE TRAITOR.
THIS ruthless assaulter of Kelea was no less
a personage than Paao, the enemy of Hookama. He had been hastily despatched by the
chief Numuku, to carry a message from Oahu
to Maui, urging the king of Oahu to return
speedily to his own island, because of signs of
rebellion in his kingdom. Numuku was loyal
to the king Kahahana, and had been left by
him as governor of Oahu in his absence.
With a swift war-canoe, manned by sturdy
natives, Paao left Oahu secretly, at dead of
night, and landed at Lahaina, the headquarters
of Kahekili, early on the morning of the day
previous to his appearance on the pathway
over the Iao valley.
On his arrival at Lahaina he heard of the
battle of the Sand Hills and that the king of
Oahu was still there. That no time might be




86


KELEA: TIE SURF-RIDER.


lost, he left his men and the canoe, and, instead
of sailing to Maalaea Bay, decided to cross the
Eke mountain over the pass. It was a laborious route, on the verge of dizzy precipices
and >through gloomy ravines; but he was
sturdy, and when the moon rose he was
already descending the eastern slope by a zigzag trail, until at last he came upon Kelea,
sitting by the roadside.
He supposed she was one of the native
women, whom he often met in the course of
his wanderings, and thought he would vary
the hardships of the way by sporting awhile
with her in the moonlight. If he had known
how the affair would end, he might not have
essayed the venture, for he was something of
a coward and, even in his amours, preferred
an easy conquest won by craft to any dangerous trifling.
Now, as he passed through the rocky defile
into the moonlit track, after leaving Kelea, he
took a look at the small white weapon which
he had mechanically picked up from the path.
To his astonishment he recognized the dagger
which he had given Hookama. It set him to
thinking.  "How  did it come into that
waline's possession? Had she killed Hookama with it, as he had abundant proof from
her reckless courage that she might have




PAAO, THE TRAITOR.


87


done? Why was a girl of superior rank out
there alone? " he queried, as he recalled her
looks and haughty manner. "And where was
Hookama, if alive, his destination being the
island of Hawaii and not Maui?"
Busy with such questions, he stowed the
dagger away among the few articles which he
had bound about his waist, carefully guarding
the poisoned point from piercing his flesh;
and at early dawn found himself looking out
over the village and a thousand improvised
huts where the army of Kahekili was encamped.
He soon reached the sand hills, where he
was told the Oahuans lay, and, being at once
brought to the king, delivered his message.
Kahahana received the news with apparent
calmness, but it caused him intense anxiety.
He had already found out the ability and
arrogance of some of the chiefs of his kingdom
of Oahu. Signs of discontent with his rule
had showed themselves even among the high
chiefs who came with him on this expedition
to Maui.
He therefore hastily called a council of his
war-chiefs, the majority being loyal, and it
was decided to send Paao back at once to
Oahu, to announce that the king and his
troops would speedily return. The messenger




88      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


had orders also to say that the king's warriors
had turned the tide, in the great battle, without losing many of the chiefs. This was a
politic move, to allay the anxiety of the
families of his attendant chiefs, and to announce the victory that they had helped so
much to win.
The more important decision of the council
was that at least four days must be spent at
Wailuku, to allay all suspicion that a premature departure was necessary, on account of
affairs at home. The coming of Paao and the
intelligence he brought were to be kept a
profound secret. He was to return immediately by the way he had come. But before
he left, he managed to have a private interview with Kahekili, the moi of Maui, to whom
he told the whole story. Thus Paao proved
himself not only a scoundrel but a traitor.
As he was leaving the camp of the Oahuans
he went to receive the last commands of his
king and expressed the utmost loyalty to his
person and his cause. Near the close of the
interview he casually alluded to Hookama, as
a dear friend, and asked if the king had heard
of his whereabouts. Kahahana in reply told
him of the young a/ii's gallant conduct in the
battle, his brilliant dash against the Hawaiian
giant, his severe wound and the present hopes
of his recovery.




PAAO, THE TRAITOR.


89


"Just now, he is in Iao Valley," said the
king. "You will pass the house on your return."
"Could I see him?" asked Paao, with a
sympathetic accent.
" You might look in upon him a moment;
he lies about two hours up the valley," was
the response, the royal speaker having forgotten the tabu spear, which would proclude even
his own messenger from entering the premises.
Early the next morning, with two warriors
as a body guard to the head of the pass, Paao
started for the mountains. He was in high
spirits and boasted to his companions of his
warlike deeds and his amours, as they ascended
the Wailuku pass. "Aha!" he said to himself
as they approached the spot where he had encountered Kelea, " that girl had some muscle.
I wonder if she was much hurt. What a superb
form, and such flashing eyes! "
Then he thought, " What a fine story I can
tell about Hookama to Pu' Aloha! She will
wince when she hears that her devoted lover
is infatuated with a Maui belle; the dagger
will prove it," and he switched off the twigs at
the side of the road with his staff as chuckling to himself he strode along.




CHAPTER IX.


HOOKAMA, OFF HIIS GUARD.
KELEA, after the brutal assault on the night
of her meeting with Paao, lay half stunned
upon the bank where he had flung her down.
Towards morning, one of the wan/ines in the
hut awoke and, missing her mistress, aroused
her companion; the two girls then went
quietly out to find her. Coming where the
poor girl was lying, they carried her in and
applied the lomi-loni. After their work was
over, she dozed off into slumber and, in an
hour or two, awoke to find them watching by
her side; Hookama was still sleeping soundly
on his couch of mats.
With some difficulty, her joints being stiff
and her muscles sore, she went with the girls
to the place near by, where they were wont to
bathe, and plunging in came out much refreshed. It was a pool, into which a stream of




HOOKAMA, OFF HIS GUARD.


91


cool water flowed with a rippling sound and
over which drooped bright clusters of leaves
and trailing vines. Shut in by lava rocks, it
was a sylvan retreat fit for a goddess, and as
Kelea, dripping from her bath, sat on the mossgrown bank, while the wa/hines dried her long
hair with a fold of soft tapa, she might well
pass for the goddess of the place, provided
that Hawaiian goddesses had such ample proportions.
It was a pretty tableau in that romantic
spot. The lights and shadows played through
the tremulous foliage. The oo breathed a soft
melody from the overhanging pandanus tree
which, with its aerial rootlets and bright red
fruit, gave tropical beauty to the scene. The
wahines anointed their mistress with the sap
of the hao mixed with liquid poi.
Paddling in the water with her feet, Kelea
told her maidens of her encounter with the
stranger, but cautioned them to say nothing
to the alii about the affair. On returning to
the house, to her surprise and delight she
found Hookama awake and sensible of his surroundings.
She startled him when she appeared. He
recognized her at once, and her unaccountable
presence in this strange place excited him so
much that he could hardly speak. With great




92     KELEA; THE SURF-RIDER.


tact, Kelea quietly informed him at once of
the events since the battle, dwelling emphatically on the king's wish that she should nurse
him back to life. He was too weak and dazed
to inquire further.
The girl pressed out the juice of some olelo
berries, added awa to the draught and put it
to his lips. Then seating herself by the couch
she bathed his hands, face and breast with
cool water from the pool. Looking tenderly
at him as she recalled the words, " Flower of
love," which she supposed he had addressed to
her, she lifted his head to her shoulder as she
spread his mamo (scarlet cloak) over him, having found it among his effects that were
brought to the hut.
As she smoothed the bright feathers of the
garment, her luminous eyes, with a soft radiance (they were her one really beautiful feature) seemed so gentle and sympathetic that
they were grateful to Hookama's sight; and
when she sang a love-song, while she stroked
his forehead and his arms, her low voice
soothed him and a contented smile passed
over his face, which Kelea interpreted in her
own favor.
She was older by two years than Hookama,
and an adept in all the artifices which Hawaiian maids practised with assiduity, having




HOOKAMA, OFF HIS GUARD 


93


abundant opportunity owing to the larger
number of men than women on the islands.
But now, all conscious art was laid aside.
Her affection was sincere, and when her raven
locks fell over Hookama's face as he rested on
her shoulder, the thrill which he felt passing
through her frame startled and troubled him,
although he was too weak in body and in
mind to resist the pleasing touch of her arms
and the glance of her tender eyes.
He lay, as it were, in dreamland, forgetful
of the past and unmindful of the future. His
passive spirit yielded itself to the witching
presence and melodious voice of the flowercrowned maiden who knelt at his side, until at
noon the wa/zines returned, laden with luscious
fruit and fragrant blossoms from the hills.
The remainder of the day, after a repast to
which the young alii brought a good degree of
appetite, was passed by him in comfortable
sleep, Kelea still watching beside him and
gently waving her kaiili, a brush of soft,
long feathers from the wings of birds.
The day following, the dwellers in this little
grass house awoke to the voices of the waterfalls and the music of the wind in the treetops. It was one of the loveliest of the many
lovely days in that land of semi-tropical warmth
and beauty. The fragrance of the wild woods




94      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


was wafted with the early mists from the
lower chasms and the peaks sent down sunshowers, the spray of which was shot through
with beams of light forming rainbows on
every hand.
Kelea determined that Hookama should
enjoy it all and be benefitted by it. He must
be coaxed into the sunshine, the elixir of life
for all Hawaiian ills. When she found that
he was willing to make the trial and could
walk slowly with her assistance, she led him
to a sheltered spot just above the hut, where,
spreading mats, she made him recline for a
sun-bath, such as no other land can furnish
more luxuriously.
Well may the savage refuse the inconvenience of clothes, when, in a climate of subtropical salubrity, he can quicken recovery or
foster Nature's kindly aid in preventing disease! He may live in a continual bath of light.
The Hawaiians of the last century violated
no sense of propriety among themselves, by
the absence of clothing from the larger portion of the body. It is the unusual that disturbs. More or less covering with them was a
matter of no consequence. Their brown skin
was a covering in itself, just as a nude bronze
statue is differentiated from a white marble
one. A savage well tattooed was a dandy
well dressed.




HOOKAMA, OFF HIS GUARD.


95


Moreover, those naked islanders fitted into
the wild scenery of their land. The flowers with
which the women adorned themselves at all
times, and their long flowinghair, matched the
luxuriant vegetation. Lying on the red earth,
their brown skin was in harmony with their
natural couch. In the pools, their forms took
the hue of the rich brown of pure, deep water.
The garlands on neck, arms and waist were
the native substitute for dress, and the gold
and crimson helmets and cloaks of the chiefs
rivalled the gorgeous flowering vines that
hung from the trees.
There were few noxious insects or animals.
Scorpions, centipedes, fleas and mosquitos are
pests introduced by white men. Snakes have
never been known on the islands. Clothing,
not needed to conceal or protect the person,
was therefore an incumbrance, except in higher
localities among the mountains.  Vanity
might endure it, but neither comfort nor modesty demanded much of it.
No wonder that Hookama, lying at full
length, with only a malo about his loins,
stretched his brown limbs in the sunlight with
a sigh of satisfaction and began at once to recover health and strength.
The spot, which Kelea had chosen as the
sanitarium for her patient, was a commanding




96     KELEA: TE SURF-RIDER.


one, overlooking a broad expanse of territory,
with the channel between Maui and Hawaii in
the distance. Below, one could see the pathway, winding up the Wailuku pass, along which
men and women were toiling, coming into
view or vanishing as they entered or emerged
from the many ravines. The shouts of these
foot passengers echoed among the hills, and
ever and anon spear points glistened in the sun,
as bands of warriors passed along on their way
from Wailuku to their homes on the southern
coast.
Without disturbing Hookama, who lay in a
delicious state of languor with his eyes closed,
Kelea suddenly whispered to the wakines, bidding them watch by the alii and for no reason
whatever leave him till she returned. Putting
about her the garlands they had been weaving,
she descended to the grass house and took her
stand before the tabu-spear which the moi of
Oahu had planted for her protection, in front of
the dwelling.
Her quick eye had detected the approach
along the path of the three warriors, Paao and
the two men sent as his escort by the king.
As they emerged from between the high rocks,
a few hundred feet below the slight elevation
above the path on which the hut was built,
Kelea straightened her figure to its full height,
and with arms akimbo awaited their approach.




CAWIAI AN WX OMEN BATHIMS
i C) 




i
I
I
i
1
/
l:1




CHAPTER X.


A HAWAIIAN MAIDEN'S REVENGE.
PAAO, who had not told his companions of
his encounter with the girl, slunk back behind
the two warriors and was disposed to hurry
past, keeping his eyes upon the ground. He
was not prepared for this public meeting with
his late antagonist, but intended to pass the
spot, and then, bidding the escort rest awhile,
go back and see if he could find Hookama, or
the wa/zine. Now, the sight of this superb
woman, evidently prepared to meet him on
her own terms, disconcerted him and deprived
him of his usual bravado of manner and
speech. The two warriors involuntarily halted
when they came opposite the place where
Kelea stood and Paao perforce must delay with
them, at least for a moment.
"Soho! My maikola (contemptible one),
back so soon? You want another honi (kiss)




1O     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Moi, your king." The weapon had been behind her all the time, purposely hidden by
her person. Paao, taken wholly aback by the
well-known, sacred token, recoiled a step, then
turned and calling his companions strode up
the pathway, foaming with rage, the crowd
cheering and laughing more loudly than before.
As the three warriors went out of sight at
a bend of the road, the natives gathered into
groups to discuss the incident and to mimic
the chief actors in it; then they went on their
several ways, some down the valley, others up
the hill. As for Kelea, when she had watched
the crestfallen Paao out of sight, with a curl of
the lip betokening the utmost scorn, she took
her way up the rising ground back of the hut,
and rejoined Hookama and her wahines.
They had heard the shouting, but supposing
it the ordinary cries of travellers along the
path, were not even curious to know what had
occasioned the hubbub.
Paao's troubles, however, were by no means
at an end. The two warriors, who had been
selected as his escort, were from Waikiki, Oahu,
and knew him well. They hated him heartily,
as did most of the men who were his neighbors.
He tried to explain the story and said the
watSine who had made such a fuss about it was




A HA WA IArN MAIDEN'S RE VENGE.  IOI


only a crazy woman. True, he had met her
on his way down the pass the other night, and
she had accosted him, but being repulsed, had
flown at him in a rage and he had been obliged
to fling her off rather harshly, to rid himself of
the incumbrance.
The two warriors said nothing in reply,
knowing that Paao had influence with Numuku their own powerful chief of Nuuanu
Valley; but a sly wink, one to the other,
showed what their conclusions were, and suggested some fun at Paao's expense when they
returned to Oahu.
As for Paao himself, he was completely
mystified by the presence of the tabu-spear in
that place. Could it be that the woman was
one of the king's own favorites? If so, he
might get into serious trouble if she told his
chief what had happened. She was certainly
of high birth; no common wakine, but a woman of blood and spirit.  Well, he would
think it over, and if the king should ask him
about it he could invent a plausible answer.
For all that, he was uneasy in his mind, and
his journey was not a very happy one. He
was relieved when the two warriors left him at
the head of the Olowalu pass, but still his
thoughts busied themselves with the events of
the day, so galling to his pride.




102    KELA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Besides, he was not sure now about Hookama, and how did that ivory dagger come into
the girl's possession? He might not have the
laugh at the young alii after all, or even find
it safe to show the dagger to Pu' Aloha, much
less to accuse Hookama of what he might
never have done.
"I wonder," said he, half aloud, " if those
miserable men who escorted me, will stop and
investigate the real truth, as they return:
what stories they will tell at the camp, if
they do! Well, if it comes to the worst, I
can turn priest and get even with all my
enemies! "
Then he thought of his treacherous interview with the king of Maui and wondered
how his plotting would turn out. Trying to
console himself with these evil counsels, and
yet in a very crestfallen mood, Paao reached
Lahaina, went aboard his war-canoe and sailed
for Oahu with all despatch.
The day after Kelea had taken her revenge,
she experienced a terrible reaction.  Her
wakines, whom she scolded for slight faults,
began to sulk and complain to each other;
she herself took a large draught of awa, which
she had brought to the hut, ostensibly as medicine for Hookama; even the young alii
noticed the change, the cause of which he at



A HA WAIIAIN MAIDEN'S RE VENGE.


I03


tributed to his lack of response to her ardent expressions of affection on the previous
day. He pitied her after a fashion; he liked
her in a way, and she had nursed him back to
health, as he learned by questioning one of
her maidens. But then he had saved her from
a horrid death when in danger from the shark,
and so they were quits, according to the Hawaiian idea of justice, which set one deed off
against another, whether it were the killing of
a man or the desertion of a woman.
He was able to walk slowly to the place
where he took his sun-bath and siesta. There,
the girls lomi-ed him till the warm blood
coursed through his veins. They were skilled
in playing on the nose-flute and the ukeke, a
sort of jewsharp with two strings, and the
plaintive music accorded well with his own
feelings.
Kelea was with him much of the time, but
there was something strange in her actions
which he could not understand. The fact
was, she had begun to realize, as Hookama
gained strength, that this dream of love must
soon come to an end for her, and the thought
almost crazed her brain, her nerves having
been strained to their utmost tension by the
occurrences of the past week.
She thought of flinging herself off thepali




104     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


if Hookama would not take her with him, as
chiefs often took their wives and other women
even on their warlike expeditions.  Then
came the dreadful temptation to poison herself and him, rather than to lose the object of
her heart. She stifled this suggestion, saying:
"K a, ka! only a kanaka would use poison-or
a kahuna."  Then she tried to  offer the
" prayer to enlist the affections," but nothing
calmed or relieved her. She was revolving
several schemes to detain Hookama or to follow him to Oahu, when one of the wahines
came hurriedly to announce the arrival of
King Kahahana at the hut.
He asked to see Hookama at once, and Kelea
led him to the cosy retreat where he found the
young alii luxuriously reclining in the midst
of ferns and flowers that Kelea had tastefully
arranged.
"Aha! my fine friend! It is a joy to see
you again with the blood of your noble
ancestors showing in your face." He checked
himself, aware that Hookama was ignorant of
his birth rank.
" You have a snug nest up here, for a birdcatcher; but come now, if you are equal to it,
let us talk on some important matters; and
my time is short."
Hookama took his friend's hand, unable to




A HA iWA IA N MAIDEN'S REVENGE.


Io5


rise and give the customary obeisance, and
the king then told him of a terrible sickness in the camp at Wailuku, owing to the
unburied bodies of the enemy slain in the
recent battles. The situation was alarming.
Hundreds of the villagers were escaping to the
hills, which accounted for the numbers of them
coming through the pass.
He said Kahekili had given him permission
to retire at the earliest moment; a great relief,
as he was anxious to get back to Oahu. Then
pledging Hookama by a sacred oath, he explained the disaffection of some of his own
chiefs.
" Now," he added, " I must entrust to you
a secret mission, which will require both boldness and tact. It is an embassy to the defeated
king of Hawaii. I cannot trust the crafty
noi of Maui, who has designs of his own with
reference to Oahu; but the Hawaiian king,
knowing this, may come to my help if the
rebellious chiefs prove too powerful for me to
cope with them."
The plan was for Hookama to embark in
the king's war-canoe. Out at sea, he would be
transferred to another war-canoe with trusty
warriors. Then steering for Waipio, Hawaii,
where the Hawaiian king held his court, he
could land as a bird-catcher and get a chance
to confer with the king alone.




Io6     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


"' There are so few that I can trust," he concluded, " but I am sure of you-you must go."
Hookama pleaded his feeble condition, his
youth and inexperience, but the king was persistent. "The voyage," he said, " will restore
you to perfect health." There was nothing
for the youth to do but to yield, and he
promised to do his best, if it cost his life.
" But," said Hookama, "I must tell Kelea
at once; the girl has been very good to me
and I am afraid," he added with a feeble
smile, " that she has taken a fancy to me, to her
own ill-luck, for she can never be anything to
me but a zoalauna (friendly companion)."
"I will look after her," said Kahahana,
"and I will send a litter for you, the day after
to-morrow, when we embark."
Then calling Kelea, who had retired during
the interview, he thanked her for her kindness
to Hookama and presented her with a string of
the precious achantinella (land shells), a variety
found only on trees, very exquisite in tint and
vivid in changing hue. The girl received his
praises with a blushing face, but refused his
gift. The king insisting, she finally accepted
the shells and hid them in her girdle, thinking
she might need them in the furtherance of her
plans.
Bidding her look well to Hookama and with




A HA WAIIAN MAIDEN'S RE VENGE.   107
other pleasant words to his friend, after the
usual parting salutation, the touching of noses,
the king rejoined his escort and was soon out
of sight down the ravine.
Hookama, exhausted by the interview, sank
back into the long, soft grass and resigned
himself to the luxury of the genial tropical
sunshine.




CHAPTER XI.


A HAWAIIAN WOOING.
AFTER the king of Oahu had gone, Hookama's announcement to Kelea that scarcely
more than a day remained before he must
accompany his king to Oahu, made her heart
sink within her. All that the young alii
could say failed to cheer her.  His words
seemed cold and heartless to her fervid thirst
for his love.
She hurried away on a slight pretext, and, in
the secluded dell near the bathing pool, gave
vent to her passionate feelings. She burst
into angry imprecations at one moment and
the next, calming a litfle, conjured up various
schemes to attain her end. Finally a plan
shaped itself in her mind, and bathing her face
in the cool water of the pool she went back to
the hut, and chatted gaily with Hookama till
evening, of a thousand trifling matters.




A HA WAIIAN WOOING.


Iog


The wa/ines played and sang to him, while
Kelca fantastically arrayed the youth in
festoons of vines and blossoms. He yielded
to her caprice and was glad that her brow had
lost the cloud which settled there at the
beginning of the day.
No kukzti-torch was lighted in the little
grass hut that night.  The wa/tines slept
soundly in their own house and Hookama
was happy to yield himself to sleep when the
first darkness settled down upon the land. It
is needless to say that Kelea, filled with the
hope which her new plan inspired, slept only
by fits and starts, while her mind was busy, in
the intervals between waking and sleeping,
with the details of the venture, into which she
threw her whole nature with desperate disregard of whatever consequences might follow
either its success or failure.
Another bright day dawned on the morrow,
even more delicious in its balmy odors and
its invigorating air.  Early was Kelea in the
hands of her maidens at the pool, which she
playfully called her "city of refuge," a term
applied to enclosures which no enemy could
enter on pain of death.
The wa/ines caused her skin to shine after
her bath like the polished koa wood, and
placed about her neck the circlet of shells




HIO    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


which the prince had given her; around her
ample waist they arranged the marvellous
shining skirt (pau), constructed of spires of
sword-like grass, from which after the outside
was stripped a long, silvery fibre remained.
Hundreds of these flexible, glossy ribbons
made a gauzy covering from waist to knees,
clinging light as air, for the most part, to
the limbs, although some of the streamers
floated outward when touched by the faintest
breeze.
Kelea then wreathed her head and arms and
bust in flowers and delicate ferns and gave
directions to the wahines, who received them
with a most demure expression of countenance.
She told them to go back at once to Waihee
and say to her father that they had all been
to visit some acquaintances among the hills.
"You need not go into the hut to get the
tapas and calabashes," she added, " but hurry
down the pass as fast as you can go, and say
that I am coming after you, as soon as I have
made my offering at the shrine of Lilinoe,
where I must spend the night, according to a
vow made for my father's safety in the battle."
She saw them on the path, but she did not see
their amused looks, as they began to laugh
and chatter together, as soon as they were out
of sight.




A HA WAIIAN WOOING.


III


Not long after their departure, Kelea returned to the hut and in her most playful,
fascinating manner, assisted the invalid to
come and see her " city of refuge," taking the
tabu-spear with her, and planting it just outside the little dell. Never did fairy bower look
more enchanting and never did queen appear
in more bewitching mood. Kelea had hung
wreaths of ferns and blossoms on the branches
overarching the pool. Fresh moss was piled
upon the bank and flowers were scattered everywhere. There were tapa cloths on which luscious fruits were laid, and a large calabash was
filled with poi.
The fragrance of the Hawaiian begonia pervaded the air.  Its delicately tinted pink
flowers covered the spray-blown face of the
waterfall, and a rippling streamlet made soft
music as it fell from the rocks over a low
ledge into the clear, bright water.
Hookama needed no urging to get down at
once into the pool. It was hardly up to his
shoulders, and as he stood in the midst of the
circling wavelets after his cooling dip, he was
more like the vigorous man of former days to
the smiling girl upon the grassy shore, than he
had appeared since the battle.
When he came out and lay on the mossy
couch prepared for him, his muscular limbs




I12     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


were tinged with a ruddy hue and a new color
came over his strong body, which his brief illness had not wasted. To Kelea, he was like a
god come down to earth to visit her, such as
she had seen in her happiest dreams.
With gentle yet firm touch, she dried his
dripping skin, using thin tapa cloths, and then,
applying her soft palms till the surface was
like polished marble, she anointed his body
with fragrant oils; wreathing his neck and
breast with garlands, she set before him the
food, and with skilful fingers peeled the
breadfruit and bananas, causing him to eat
them from her hand.
When the repast was over, she seated herself at his side and suddenly flinging a roll of
tapa over them both, exclaimed, " Now thou
art my husband (kane)," and nestled towards
him, the silvery fringe of her skirt lightly falling on his body. The young man rose to his
feet in an instant, and upbraided her with
alluring him into the trap. It was a custom
of the country that a marriage ceremony was
complete when both parties, by mutual consent, were covered by the tapa cloth. In the
case of a chief or alii, it should be of a peculiar color. Had Hookama seen such a roll
near by, as if provided for the ceremony, his
suspicions would have been aroused and he




A HAWAIIAN WOOING.


1I3


would have given Kelea no opportunity to
claim him even in mock espousal.
Now he was thoroughly angry and denounced the trick. He defied her to publish to
her kindred, (as was the custom when a marriage
was secretly consummated,) the deception she
had practised.  Besides, no mutual consent
was possible in this case, for, by all the gods,
he declared he would not have her for his
wife.
But the young man had overestimated the
strength derived from the momentary glow
imparted by the bath and the food he had
taken. His exertion, under the excitement of
his aroused indignation, was too much for his
still feeble condition, and with a dizzy feeling
he sank to the ground. His head reeled and
he could not steady himself enough to rise,
although he made an effort to get upon his
feet.
At first, Kelea, hearing his angry exclamations, stood ready to respond with wrathful
words; her hands were clenched, her eyes
aflame and her whole frame trembling with
passion. But the instant Hookama fell, she
was kneeling by his side, bathing his head
with water and putting the awa to his lips, in
order if possible to revive him. She spoke no
word; her face expressed nothing but concern




I 4    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


and pity. She had nerved herself for this
supreme effort to make the young alii all her
own, and she had failed. But what was
that compared with harm or suffering to
Hookama!
When the youth revived and sat up, looking
not at her but at the reflection in the pool of
her kneeling figure, the sense of her discomfiture and the hopelessness of her endeavor returned upon her like a torrent, and she felt as
if she had received the overwhelming shock
of an ocean wave.
She was crushed, humiliated, baffled in this
last effort to achieve a triumph which she
thought was almost in her grasp. She fell at
Hookama's feet, and, with her face in her
hands, buried her head in the deep moss,
crying and moaning as if her heart would
break. The flowers, with which she had
adorned her neck ahd brow, were crumpled
and awry; the band, which held her silvery
skirt, parted and the shining folds of streamers,
wound round and round to form the fluffy
garment, lay unrolled, a disorderly mass half
covering her limbs.  She was the picture of
abject despair.
Hookama could have met the situation, weak
as he was, had Kelea faced him with threats
or even with spiteful ferocity; but this was a




A HA WAIIAN WOOING.


1"5


new experience; he had never seen a woman
in such a state before. He tried to lift her
but found his strength insufficient. He was
too feeble physically to realize that she was
giving herself to him body and soul. Indeed,
he felt something of the same fear and repugnance towards her that made him break away
from her importunities at Waihee. Besides,
he was bewildered, knowing that he was the
cause of her despair, although without any
such intention. He also knew that he had
too easily yielded to her caressive attentions,
and at Waihee had made to her some rash
promises.
At length, he said to her, in as kindly a tone
as he could command: "Kelea, listen I You
have planted the tree, not I. If its fruit is
bitter, am I to blame? The gods are unkind
to you. The crab with its shell broken cannot
cling to the rock; the waves carry it away:
but a man can pick up the shell-fish and set it
in a place where it can at least live. This is
all I can do for you. I did not break the
beautiful shell; I am sorry it is broken. I
cannot make you my wife; I am only a boy;
you are older; you are my 'elder sister' [A
Hawaiian figure]. I have royal blood in my
veins, they tell me, but I have no inheritance.
My name, Hookama, means 'the adopted




II6    CELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


one'; it carries nothing but the barren right
of an alii to serve another greater alii. I
don't know who were my parents; I only obey
my chief and my king; if I were free- "
With a sudden start, and fixing her tearstreaming eyes upon him, Kelea cried, "Then
it is another-I feared it was; but she would
pity me. I'll be her slave, her kauwa, anything you wish, if you will only let me go with
you, be yours to love and care for."
There was a touching pathos in her tones.
This proud woman, who could meet a cowardly man and fight him for her honor; whose
superb strength could wrestle with the surge
of the ocean and conquer it; whose haughty
bearing had overawed many a chief that
sought her hand in marriage, was now suing
this unknown youth, whose lineage she did
not know, for the smallest favor which a man
could bestow, the wretched boon of being the
servant of one he loved and whom she had
never seen.
"Aole, aole! " he replied. " No, Kelea, some
evil spirit has suggested this to you. It is not
another, but I do not love you; I do not want
you. You are tabu to my heart. I do not
know why, but it is the will of the gods. The
sea-bird never dwells with the bird on the hills.
Even if I loved you, I could not carry you




A tHA WAIIAN WOOING.


II7


with me to my distant home. The aromatic
shrub has no sweetness when broken off
from    t
"Then swear to me," cried the wretched
girl, " even if you cannot love me; swear to
me only this-will you, Hookama? If you
will, I will trouble you no more. I will do all
you say; you shall be my star in the sky and
I will worship you as too fair, too bright for
me, except as it shines on me from the clouds."
"Swear what?" he quickly asked, as if a
chance to escape from the pit into which he
had fallen were suddenly offered.
"That if I should appear to you in your distant home-alas! too far for me ever to reach
it-you will not shun me, hate me, even if you
cannot do more. I will not claim you; I will
never burden you, but you will not hate me,
kill me, or thrust me from your sight. Swear
this to me, by Kane, Lono, and her whom I
worship, the goddess Lilinoe, and I will try
your patience no more. We will be brother
and sister till you sail away,-lost, lost forever
to your Kelea, whose spirit you will take with
you, while her body wanders like the wind in
the evening twilight."
"I swear it," said Hookama, soberly, "by
Kane, Lono and Lilinoe. If I do not keep
the vow (it is not a hard one) may their curses




II8      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
come upon me like the blast from a red crack
of the volcano, where your goddess holds fiery
sway."
As he said these words, he turned and
slowly wended his way back to the hut and
threw himself on the mats, exhausted in body
and mind. The shock had unnerved him;
he could not think of anything, except that
he remembered how on the morrow he must
be strong enough to reach the coast, for he
had given his word to depart with the king,
when the sun went down on that day.




CHAPTER XII.


A VISION OF KELEA'S ANCESTRESS.
As soon as Hookama vanished out of her
sight, and Kelea's heavy eyes had watched his
steps beyond the dense foliage of the dell,
this strange creature of good and bad impulses
seemed to change into a savage with all the
inherited tendencies of the wildest of her bar.
barian ancestors.
She tore off the flowers that still clung to
her hair and breast, and flung them into the
pool. Her silver circlet was snatched, as if it
were a poisoned garment, from her form; this
she threw with violence after the garlands.
Tapa cloths, calabashes, fruits, mosses, everything, even the wreaths she had hung on the
trees, went into the water as if they had been
witnesses to a deed of blood. Then, climbing
upon the ledge, she rolled the largest stones
she could move into the basin; breaking the




120      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


limbs of the overhanging trees, she bent them
down till the trembling leaves swept the surface of the pool, and, when all was done that
could be done by her main strength, she leaped
in after the tangled mass, as if to drown herself in the midst of the meshes of the net she
had madly woven.
But she did not mean to drown herself. She
must live. Her leap was only the last blind
movement of her savage fury. Buoyed up by
the debris, her hot limbs sank but knee-deep
in the water; then she scooped the water with
her hands and bathed her fevered forehead.
Scrambling out, she lay upon the bank as if
her paroxysm, not of rage but of reckless
frenzy, in departing, had left her a wounded,
wretched creature, heedless of everything but
her own misery.
She might have remained in that condition
till the darkness came on, for all that she
cared. It mattered little to her what happened now. A numbness at last came upon
her and she felt as if she had no power to
move. Then, to her tired brain, as if it were
a vision in sleep, there appeared the spiritancestress whose name she bore. Kelea, the
famous surf-rider of Maui, of whom the bards
of Oahu and Maui love to sing; Kelea, the
beautiful but capricious sister of Kawao, king




A VISION OFKELEA'S ANCESTRESS.  121


of Maui; she who had called the surf-board her
husband till the gods summoned her to Oahu
and Lo-lale made her his bride, indulging her
in every whim.
As if an ocean billow had flung this queenly
form before her on the beach, Kelea recognized in the apparition a kindred spirit that
had come to succor her in her hour of need.
The goddess held out her arms and her feet
were dripping with pearls of dew. Her face
was radiant as she gaily told the story of her
joy with the water sprites in the deep sea at
Ewa bay, where now she sported beneath the
breakers which she had breasted in her lifetime long ago, when she drove the whitemaned steeds of the surf and lay upon the
sandy shore with the wavelets lapping her feet.
Her mysterious disappearance from Maul,
when Lo-lale's cousin, commissioned to find
him a wife, carried her off to Oahu to the
brighter home she found on that beautiful isle,
is it not all written in the Myths and Legends
of Hawaii?
Strangely enough, the exact route taken by
the Kelea of centuries past, as the canoe of
her abductor sailed by the stars bearing northward to escape Molokai, seemed clear to the
Kelea of the present.  The wandering stars,
the five planets known to the ancient Hawai



122      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


ians, directed the course then to the west, and
the entire journey over the restless seas, ending with the royal welcome by Lo-lale dressed
in his richest trappings, became as real to the
dreaming girl as if she were herself passing
with her captivating ancestress through it all,
to be decked with pearls on her arrival.
Then a cloud settled over the water-queen,
as she spoke of the gentle Lo-lale, who had
relinquished her to his royal cousin, when the
fitful bride longed for a home nearer the sea
than the royal hale on the mountains of Oahu.
The half-awake, half-sleeping Kelea thought
in the vision that she was the wanderer, but
as an outcast driven from her own island and
having no place to call her home.
Yet when the spirit of Kelea, the beautiful,
disappeared in the mist of a rainbow, diving
back into the blue depths of the sea, the look
she gave her sorrowful descendant was so
reassuring that it said, " Follow me, where I
found happiness in a lover," and the girl awoke
from her trance in new and vigorous hopefulness.  She had received, she believed, a
message from the god that ruled the sea,
Kane-huli-koa, whose votary her ancestress
was, bidding her trust herself to him and all
would be well.
From that moment, her strength came in




A VISION OF KELEA'S ANCESTRESS.


123


full flood upon her again; her love for Hookama quickened her pulses and her whole being
was suffused with the glow of a new purpose,
which, as the will of the gods, she determined
to carry out, even to the minutest details as
the water-queen had revealed them.  She
knew the story of Kelea by heart from her
early childhood, but now it became a reality
and a prophecy.
She arose from the bank, with a new light
in her eyes and a joyous feeling in her heart.
She looked down at the pool, then she turned
her back upon the scene of her discomfiture
and went away as if a victory were already
won. She said to herself:  "He shall see
what a wife I might be to him," as she allowed
her hair to ripple over her comely shoulders.
One piece of tapa, which had escaped her
ruthless hands, she wound about her, as the
matrons of her tribe were accustomed to wear
their sober garments. With the tabu-spear in
her hand, she went back to the grass house
and planted it before the door. She saw
Hookama through the opening, as he lay
upon the couch, but she did not go in.
She busied herself heating stones in an
earthen oven. She cooked delicious cakes of
poi; plucked the ripest fruit of the pandanus;
chose the most juicy berries, and, when all was
ready, carried the tempting food into the hut.




. 24      KEELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


When she stood before Hookama, her face
was serene, but not bold. Her eyes sought
the ground, not as if she were abashed, but
modestly. In subdued tones she invited him
to eat. As he ate sparingly, she waited in
silence. When he finished she quietly took
away the remnants of the repast, and returning sat in repose at his feet.
He saw that she wore no flowers, the first
time he had ever seen her without them. He
noticed that her bosom was covered with a
coarse brown tapa, a choice of vestments very
unlike her usual clothing of bright and variagated cloths. But he could not avoid seeing
also a look of relief on her face and something
like exultation in her eyes.
When she had given Hookama the lomi-lomi,
usually performed by her wahines, she spread
the night-tapa cloth over him carefully, and,
with a pleasant Aloha and a smile, went out
under the stars. He heard her go to the
little hut of the women, and then all was
silent, except as the stillness was broken by
the occasional hooting of a distant owl and
the sound of melodious cascades.
There was no change the next day in Kelea's
manner or actions. She brought him water
and food; asked if he wished to go out for a
sun-bath; helped him collect the things that




A VsSION OF IKELAS ANiCESTRESS.


belonged to him, rolled them into a bundle
and cleared up the interior of the hut, making
ready to leave in the afternoon. To Hookama's surprise and satisfaction, she did not
allude to the events of the previous day.
She said nothing to him about his "oath."
She made no affectionate advances, but acted
like a woman who looked after her master's
comfort, and accepted his whims as a matter
of course.
When the litter, a wattled netting swung on
two stout bamboo poles with cross-pieces, was
brought by order of the king, she filled it with
long grass, helped the carriers lift their heavy
burden to their shoulders, and, taking the
bundle of goods tied up in tapa, followed at a
little distance in the rear, as the little troop
marched down the valley.
The natives as they passed her gave the customary salutation, Aloha, but noticed nothing
that distinguished her from the peasant class
except her stately manner. Only a few turned
their heads and looked back to scan her more
closely. In her mind, however, there was
maturing an intense purpose. She meant to
reach Oahu by some means or other; what the
means might be she did not know, but it was
an absolute certainty to her that the home of
Hookama was the goal of her life henceforth.




X26     I   4ELEA: 'THAR SURJ-RIDER.


This idea was fixed in her mind when she
awoke from her vision of Kelea, the surf-rider
and queen. It had calmed her. It gave her
self-control. It dominated her temper. It
gave Hookama a respite for the present from
her importunity. It put her into harmony with
Nature and its forces, for on the universal
powers about her, supernatural or visible, she
relied to accomplish her aim.
Her savage mind felt this vaguely but fully.
In her thought, it was simply: " I will go where
he goes, and sea, sky and land will aid me; I
can swim, walk, leap. Men are nothing to
me; there is but one man and he has sworn."
As she came down to the sand hills, the
camp of Kahahana was breaking up. The
ground was littered with torn bandages of
tapa, remnants of food, bones, and broken calabashes. Warriors were collecting their few
effects, and tying their javelins in bunches
with cocoa-nut fibre. It was a busy and a
mournful scene. The wounded warriors lay
apart, ready to be transported to the canoes,
some to die, and to be lashed in a large canoe,
provided for the dead that their bones might
be buried in their native soil.
A few gruesome bundles of bones of chiefs
killed in the recent battle, cleared of flesh,
were heaped in a pile, and the entire hillside




A VISION P0' KELEA'S ANCESTRESS.  127


was disfigured by foul materials, while the
odors from the valley of death beneath came
up like steam from a witch's cauldron.
The king of Oahu and his high chiefs had
left the camp days before for a healthier location near the beach. After the battle the
chiefs left the loathsome results to their lowlived followers, whom they used as fighters
but despised as serfs.
Hastening forward, as soon as it was known
that the king had given orders to bring the
sick alii to his own quarters, the little band
went through other collections of improvised
huts, where the army of Kahekili, king of
Maui, awaited orders to depart. Many had
gone by the passes to Lahaina, but the bulk of
the forces was to take canoes for the passage
by sea, in attendance on the king.
Arriving at King Kahahana's house, with its
low verandah overlooking the sea, Hookama
was cordially received by his chief and the net
of twisted fibre was swung in the coolest part
of the lanai for his comfort. Kelea quietly deposited her bundle at his feet; took from it a
few of her own articles of clothing and looked
into the young alii's face for his parting
words.
The king stood by and had already said
some kind words to the girl, thanking her for




t28     E AELEA: Pt SURF-M IDEP.


her care of his friend. He also placed in her
hand a small sandal wood box of precious
shells, more valuable than those he had formerly given her, and which could be exchanged
among the natives for any necessary articles.
Kelea inwardly revolted from the idea of
wages, but in her assumed role of nurse or servant and, remembering that she might need
them, as the king's first gift had been flung
into the pool, she took them with a stolid face,
thanked the giver and waited for Hookama to
bid her depart.
The young man, for the first time, had to
choke down a rising lump in his throat; he
had become accustomed to Kelea's friendly
offices and graceful presence. She had nursed
him back to life and he was loath to part with
her.
Drawing her nearer to him, while the king,
with a consideration hardly to be expected of
a barbarian, turned his back and looked off
towards the ocean, Hookama held her hands
for a moment and then, in the grotesque fashion of those times, touched noses with the girl,
a token of friendliness and familiarity which
carried with it hearty goodwill if not always
the sincerest affection.
As their faces touched, Kelea flushed, and,
carried away by a transport of love, whispered




A tSfONt 6t rfELA'S AVCEtSWESS. 1t2
in the young man's ear: "Aloha nui! Remem.
ber you have sworn!" Then turning quickly,
with an obeisance to the king, she left the house,
her bundle on her head like a common native,
and walked towards the beach. Hookama's
eyes followed her and a sigh broke from his
lips, which caused the king to remark: "Yes,
she is worthy of an alii for a lover." But he
said nothing more and Hookama did not reply.
The two friends then busied themselves over
the details of the embassy to the king of
Hawaii, which Hookama was about to undertake.




CHAPTER XIII.


A SAVAGE TYRANT FOILED.
THERE were signs of bustling life and preparation for departure all along the seashore, as
Kelea, with a step of assumed gaiety, entered
the groups of warriors and women, busy in
loading the war-canoes and for once hurrying
at their work. The reason for this show of
activity was apparent, as a chief, tattooed over
half of his face and body, came striding along,
jesting brutally with some natives not quite as
nimble as the rest and glaring at the women
who involuntarily stopped their labors and
crouched on the sand at his approach.
Seeing Kelea, who had laid her bundle
down and was standing erect, not knowing
that it was the king of Maul to whom the
other women were so obsequious, Kahekili was
taken by her figure and the freshness of her
face. The savage beast in him, which usually




A SA A AGR TYRANT FOILED.


I3I


asserted itself, changed to an assumed courtliness of manner which he could command at
will.
As he drew near to her, the crowd drew off,
that they might not cross his shadow, an
offence liable to the penalty of death, if he so
willed, and, also that they might not overhear his conversation, a still worse offence.
" Wahine / These brave fellows from Oahu
are not your tribesmen, I am sure? By Lono,
they are an ungrateful set.  Not a single
Hawaiian chief after the battle left alive for
sacrifice, and several they killed instead of
giving them to me for my new heiau up there
on the hill. See it, my dear?" and he took
her chin in his great rough hand and twisted
her neck to look in the direction towards
which he pointed.
"They leave at dark; good riddance to
their shadows! May they never darken my
shores again; I've no faith in them; a race of
sharks."
Then lowering on her, with a grimace which
was meant for a smile, he said under his
breath: "Come to my hale-alii to-night. I've
a present for you. I'll send my kakili-bearer
to show you the way, when the canoe of the
king of Oahu, the last to go, leaves the shore."
Kelea, frightened and abashed, for no alii




G13u 2   RKLA tIAJ St"tRP-kDjEK.
had ever used such language to her before, did
not dare raise her eyes to the devilish face and
could only see the leg that was tattooed all
over with black spots like the plague.
She had heard of the dreadful Kahekili and
now her appehensions of her fate at his hands
and in his power made her quiver with fear.
All her courage left her. She felt a dragging
sensation at her heart and hardly suppressed a
shriek of terror.
The king did not want to frighten her; that
was not his aim. " Milu (hell) seize me!" he
quickly exclaimed, as he saw her trepidation
and attributed it to her sense of his exalted
rank, " but it's only an ivory talisman I mean
to give you, to protect you from evil spirits, if
there are any, and bad men.
"Who are you, my wakine? Not a lowborn child, I'll swear."
Seeing that he must be answered, Kelea,
without lifting her eyes, told him who her
father was, and that he was the chief of Waihee.
"Then what are you doing here? Come,
come, I'll take you to the hale myself, and tomorrow send you to your father. He is one
of my best warriors; I must protect you for
his sake," and the ferocious old sinner took
her by the shoulder, as if to carry her along
with him to his house.




A SA VAGE TYRANT FOILED.


133


With a sinking heart, and fearing the worst,
which was to her the loss of a chance to join
the war-canoes of Oahu and somehow get to
Hookama's island, she walked with him a little
way. Then, as if a sudden thought came to
her, she looked up, and, summoning all her
courage, said meekly to the old rascal, " My
great and honored Alii nui, Kelea of Waihee
is your humble slave. How can she touch the
finger of her king! Your favor is better than
any talisman; it is my part only to obey."
Then Kahekili, pleased with her voice, as
well as with her person, said, as gently as he
could:
"We go to-morrow to Lahaina and you
shall go with me. Your father will esteem it
an honor. I see you are as modest as you are
fair. What say you, my daughter?"
Emboldened by his softer tone, Kelea replied: "I like it well; to see your famous
palace at Lahaina, my eyes have ached for
many a day. Good alii! might I find my
wahines, and have them with me here when
the canoe of Kahahana departs? Then, without your guidance, we will find our way to the
hale, or, perhaps you will meet me here and
lead the way? "
Thinking he had made an easy conquest,
and that the girl, however nobly born, would




134     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
not dare to evade his authority, which was supreme on the island, even if she were not won
over by his large offer to make her one of his
household at Lahaina, the sly old debauchee
gave her leave to go, and, touching her face to
his hand, Kelea quietly and with a proud step
walked inland, moving slowly, this time with
her bundle in her hand. When she reached a
wooded path, well known to her, she quickened her pace to a rapid run, and came back
to the shore about three hundred yards above
the place where she had met and outwitted
the craftiest and cruelest alii nui of all the
islands.
Creeping along the edge of the beach where
there was a growth of bushes, she gained a spot
on higher ground, where a stream of considerable size flowed into the sea. The war-canoes
of Oahu extended to this point, and there
were many warriors and canoe-paddlers at
work here as elsewhere on the shore.
She knew that the old king would not come
so far from the main road to the beach, and
that the men at this place could not have seen
her with him. Assuming, therefore, the bold
air of an ordinary native woman, she saucily
approached the working crews and bandied
jests with them; told them that the surf
boards of Maui could outsail their crazy ca



A SA VAGE TYRANT FOILED.


I35


noes; asked them if their paddles were turtlefins; whether they did not want to take her as
a nurse, to go with them for good luck; or
would they prefer a hula-girl to dance on the
waves in the moonlight? "
The warriors gathered about her and chatted
with her, pleased with the diversion, and from
them she learned where the king of Oahu's
war-canoe was preparing for the voyage.
"Not far from here," said one of the merriest
of the young men, hoping to allure her away
from the rest. Then he counted on his fingers,
"Akahi (one), alua (two)," till he came to
umi (ten); "There," said he, "and I'll meet
you in the slinging of ten stones," meaning in
about half an hour.
Kelea wound towards the royal canoe by a
devious path through the bushes and came
out abreast of it to find a better class of warriors lounging about. They were on guard
and not at work, for the moi's boat was ready
among the first, and it was near sundown.
What was her surprise, as she watched the
lazy warriors, to see two of them get up, and,
going away, return, paddling a canoe, which
made her heart jump and her blood tingle.
She recognized in an instant the canoe of Hookama in which he had come to Waihee. The
men beached the boat, drew its prow on the




136     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
sand, brought a mast, sail, a bunch of javelins,
some bundles tied up in tapa, and finally the
very load she had carried on her head down
the Wailuku pass that afternoon.
Stowing these things carefully away, they
added calabashes, covered with skins, which
Kelea knew contained food. A lot of fresh
fishes, that wriggled and shone as the men
handled them, were thrown into the canoe
hap-hazard; and finally a roll of tapa, very
securely fastened, was laid on the bundles
towards the stern. Then the men spread a
stout matting over the canoe, covering it
wholly. This cover was secured by a cord of
fibre, tied to the outrigger and drawn over
and across the matting several times. This
was done to keep the contents from the waves
and the rain.
Having finished their work, the men sat on
the top of the canoe and began to eat theirpoi
with an evident relish. At this moment,
Kelea, covering her head with her tapa mantle,
ran very rapidly to the canoe, and, as if weary
with running, leaned upon it to rest herself.
The men offered her the calabash containing
the poi.
She knew she was forbidden by tabu to eat
with men. The tabu was very strict on that
point. So she declined, but said if they would




A SAVAGE TYRANT FOILED.


137


leave some and go away till she had finished,
she would gladly share their food; and she
showed them some of the shells that were
given to her by Kahahana, to pay for it, saying that their wahines at Oahu would prize
them highly.
The men agreed to her proposal, took each
two handsome shells and went off to the royal
war-canoe. In fact, they told her that they
belonged with the king's war-canoe, and were
going to draw this small canoe after the king's
by a long rope. She asked if they were coming back again to the canoe, and they said,
"Yes, when the sun shows its back behind
Mauna Eke, and we have set the king's canoe
into the surf."
She ate herpoi greedily, for she had scarcely
tasted a morsel since morning, and then, leaving the calabash on the canoe, she went
through the wet sand, for the tide was coming
in, and hid herself to watch and think. Suddenly she said to herself, " Be silent, 0 Sun! "
and her heart leaped into her throat as she
conceived a desperate "leap in the dark," to
escape the dreaded Kahekili and to attain her
dearest wish. " The canoe! the canoe! " and
she could hardly keep from shouting at the
thought, as she watched the sun, sinking in a
blaze of golden light beyond the hills.




138     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
Speedily the twilight came on, and still no
sound of the feet of the coming warriors who
were to embark in the war-canoes lying quietly,
and in them their crews with paddles ready in
their hands. At last, with the first stars, the
beach was alive with warriors and she saw
dusky forms passing between her and the sea.
She thought a dark object like a litter passed
by and her pulses quickened at the thought of
Hookama so near; it gave her courage for her
daring venture, and when the last form glided
by, with rapid feet she tore through the
bushes, leaped across the sandy beach, quickly
untied the ends of the lashings at the stern of
the canoe, squeezed herself through the small
opening, after pushing in the bundle she carried, and replacing the withs of fibre as well as
she was able, crawled as near the bow of the
boat as she could crowd her body.
No sooner was she safely in her place, her
heart beating like surf upon the shore, than
she heard a voice, and the canoe, half immersed in the water, moved as if some one
were leaning against it. Then the voice came
again to her ears, as it said, " That wakine is no
fool; of course she wouldn't wait for a Maui
man as a companion, when all these alis of
Oahu are about." It was the youth who had
counted ten upon his fingers.




A SA VAGE TYRANT FOILED.


139


Kelea heard his retreating footsteps, and
soon after, the sound of regular strokes in the
water. She knew that this meant that the
war-canoe of the king was breasting the surf.
The two men who had given her the poi
(she knew them by their voices) came running
at full speed: "Quick, with her into the
surf," one of them cried out. "Did they
mean her? " was the thought that passed like
lightning through Kelea's brain, but it was only
the canoe, which they shoved into the curling
breakers, and sprang upon its covered top.
One of them bore down hard with his foot
on the trembling body under the matting, but
he noticed nothing unusual, as the craft danced
on the waves and shot over the rollers into
the smooth water where the war-canoe was
waiting. She heard shoutings, and splashings
of the water as of many canoes getting under
way-sounds which seemed to recede from her
as she felt her own little bark fairly afloat;
and a great relief came to her spirit.
Kelea's perils, however, were not over. She
felt the prow of the canoe strike a hard substance; it was the stern of the war-canoe.
Hands clung to the smaller craft, and commands were given in a voice which she recognized as Kahahana's, as he sat in the stern of
his war-canoe.




140     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
Of the two men in Kelea's canoe, the one in
the prow leaped on board the larger boat; the
other, who was steering in the stern, started
across the cover to follow his comrade. He
stumbled along as he went, and at last planted
his foot squarely on the side of Kelea's head.
Fortunately her head lay on a roll of tapa, but
the man's weight was no small burden to the
girl. She then heard him say, " Ka, hi, ha! I've
left the acii's bundle in the boat; the moi says
he must have it, if it costs my life. What's
my life to him! " So back again to the stern
he plunged; then dropping into the water he
fumbled under the covering, (fortunately where
Kelea had left the lashings loose,) and began
to search for the roll of tapa.
Kelea felt the roll at her feet, and pushed it
with all her force; it came near the man's hand,
and, grasping it, he sprang again upon the
cover, ran across it once more, and soon the
voices of the men on the war-canoe sounded
far away. There was a jerk at the bow and
the poor, frightened girl in the frail boat behind knew that twenty stout paddlers were
carrying her towards the west-and Oahu.
The sea was comparatively calm, but as the
canoe was pulled rapidly through the waves,
Kelea, rolling from side to side, could scarcely
keep from being dashed against the contents




A SA VAGE TYRANT FOILED.


I41


of the boat, which had been left loose; her
sides were bruised; she protected her head
with her tapa which she slipped off, but the
strain on nerves and muscles was fearful; then
the strange reaction, which follows strenuous
and prolonged effort in daring deeds, came
upon her: "Would she live through the long
voyage? How long would this dreadful strain
continue?  If the war-canoe stopped in any
harbor this side of Oahu, would they send her
back?" These and countless other possible
perils, added to the fatigue of her uncomfortable position, made her brain reel.
But when she saw before her that monster,
the king of Maui, with his body half black,
and almost felt his foul breath in her face; and
on the other hand, remembered Hookama's
oath, she preferred the tossing canoe with all
possible disaster, to the soil of her native
island, with its cruel tyrant and his iron
hand.
Hours passed and the light that came
through the sides of the now loose and flapping covering, suddenly vanished; all was inky
blackness. "Was it death?" she asked herself, "then welcome death, if the gods so
willed." But she was still alive, and the gods
were with her as she supplicated their aid.
The god of the sea, on whose bosom she had




142     KELA: THE SURF-RIDER.
so often ridden the angry waves, would protect her.
At any rate, she must do something for her
own safety and the flapping of the now loose
covering suggested the effort.  She had a
sharp shell which she always carried in a piece
of tapa for cutting up food and separating the
stout stems of plants and fruit.
Reaching out her hand with the shell in itthen her arm, she found the taut rope by
which the canoe was dragged along. With
the edge of the shell she sawed the wet rope.
The moist fibre cooled her fingers but held
fast. It was of many twisted strands. She
made little impression upon it.
Then she determined, come what might, to
tear the covering from the prow and work with
better hope of success. Lying on her breast,
she made an opening for her head, then for her
shoulders. Soon her arms were free. She
clasped a little block of wood, lashed upright
in the prow; it was the " totem " of Hookama,
but she did not take much notice of it; she
laid her head against it for support and in
order to steady herself for the work. Cutting,
cutting, the edge of the shell became more and
more dull, and to her horror, the moon, which
had risen in a cloud, began to glimmer along a
narrow pathway, bringing her canoe into plain




A SA VAGE TYRANT FOILED.


143


sight, as the line of silvery light lay on the
water between her and the war-canoe.
To her joy, clouds again shut in the disc,
and the rope, as she felt it with her fingers,
had one strand severed. With renewed energy
she sawed across the remaining fibres. Fortunately for her, the strands gave way gradually, one by one. Had they all parted at once
the men in the war-canoe might have noticed
the result. Some of the fibres still held firmly,
when, at last, her hand, cramped with the work,
let the shell fall and it sank into the sea.
Sick at heart and exhausted, Kelea threw
herself back into the canoe and lay down,
expecting no help from the gods, since she
could no longer help herself. She was tossed
and rolled about, at the mercy of the pitiless
waves, conscious of nothing but her misery
-dreading her fate.
Soon, a new motion of the canoe added to
her fears. It tipped and as it tipped it plunged.
The sea came in upon her head; it revived her,
but only to increase her sense of danger. The
moonbeams now fell full upon her face; she
gazed up at the sky, which showed stars
twinkling but no clouds. She would soon be
clearly seen. But the rapid forward movement
had ceased. She crept to the fixed block of
wood; in the moonlight it grinned at her hor



144     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
ribly, yet it looked like idols she had seen
on the walls of the heiau. Perchance this god
had come to her aid.
She raised her head and looked about her.
The waves were high; their white crests
danced under the moon. The nebulous " star
with a blind eye " faintly glimmered above her.
But where were the war-canoes? There was
not the sign of any moving thing on the face of
the waters. High cliffs were on one side, afar
off; an immense waste of waters spread itself
before and behind; nothing could be seen save
Nature's ever-rolling tides hurtling against the
shore, and the twinkling stars which now
thickly studded the heavens.
With a deep sigh of relief, she thanked all
the gods whose names she could remember,
and, laying her head lovingly on the little idol
in the prow, she rubbed its ugly nose with her
own, as a friend greets a friend.
Then she tore off the covering of the canoe,
seized the paddle, and seated herself in the
stern. She had never paddled a canoe, but
she had guided her surf-board without a paddle
through the roughest seas; and now, with
peace in her heart and hope in her soul, she
sat like a sea-goddess commanding the waves,
and the "totem" grinned at her from its
perch in the prow.




CHAPTER XIV.


HOOKAMA, A PRISONER AT HAWAII.
THE king of Oahu, after setting sail from
the island of Maui, sent his flotilla ahead, his
own war-canoe, with Hookama's in tow, bringing up the rear, together with another, sent
a short distance ahead as if for look-out.
So it was that when Kelea's little craft dropped
astern there was no one behind to see it; and
when she gained courage to look out, the whole
flotilla had passed on out of sight.
The solitary war-canoe preceding the king's
was rowed by eight stout warriors, and when
a good offing in the open sea was secured it
was hailed and brought back. To it Hookama
was transferred for his secret mission to
Hawaii.
The canoe was stocked with provisions and
weapons, and to the young alii the king presented a scarlet helmet and feather cloak with




I46    KELEA: THIE SURF-RIDER.


the palaoa, an ivory ornament, the token of exalted rank. Hookama also carried rich gifts
from the king of Oahu to the king of Hawaii.
The canoe was not so magnificent as the
royal war-canoe, but it was twenty-five feet
long, carved at both ends, with a gaily-painted
sail and a red pennon, which only high chiefs
could use. No wonder that the young commander felt some pride in his new position, as,
after receiving the king's last commands and
adieus, his eight broad paddles swung the
craft away into the darkness, the warriors
singing a war song to which their strokes kept
time.
Hookama's course was due east for about
thirty miles; then southeast for sixty more,
with Waipio on the northern shore of Hawaii
as his destination.
Kalaniopuu, the king of Hawaii, had lived
all his life in the midst of carnage; he had
won his throne by being victorious in civil
strife. In the final battle, being told that his
only hope of victory lay in the killing of a
priest on the opposite side whose prayers and
powers prolonged the contest, he had the
priest singled out and slain by his warriors.
He showed great cruelty in his raids, and his
captives, men and women, were unmercifully
beaten on their heads by the war-clubs of his




HOOKAMA, A PRISONER AT HA WAIL. I47
men. Before him, neither friend nor foe could
stand without balancing the chances of life or
death. The caprice of the moment, or the expectation of some advantage to himself, turned
the scale in favor of or against the victim.
When then Hookama, who knew the mnoi's
reputation, saw a hundred warriors, armed
with spears, awaiting the thud of his canoe
upon the beach at Waipio, it required nerve
of the steadiest sort, to shoot the breakers and
to leap on shore without a weapon, leaving his
warriors in the boat, with orders not to allow
a spear or a dagger to appear in their hands.
Although the young alii had not yet fully
recovered his strength of body, he had matured
in the primitive virtues of daring and endurance during the past few weeks. Something
large had come into his nature, the manifestation of a spirit which occasionally appears in
those whose circumstances seem wholly unfavorable to such a development. Not that
the savage was eliminated, but in place of
ferocity like that of wild beasts, there was a
germ of self-respect; instead of recklessness, a
conscious superiority to adverse surroundings.
It was therefore with an elastic step and a
courageous heart that Hookama landed solitary and unarmed at Waipio, for the voyage had
given him new vigor both of body and mind.




148     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
A tall, muscular chief met him as he set foot
on the sand, and demanded his business. To
this gigantic warrior, whom Hookama recognized as the chief that had felled him to the
ground on the battle field, the young alii replied that he sought an audience with the
king.
As he spoke, he removed his feather helmet
with one hand, while with the other he threw
back his cloak and displayed on his broad
breast the ivory clasp, the token of his high
rank. Then pointing to the scar of the wound
on his head, he said: "Your weapon glanced
when you struck me down at Wailuku, noble
chief, or my visit here would be that of a ghost
seeking revenge, and not, as it is to-day, a mission of peace."
At this the giant, as chivalrous as he was
brave, held out both hands, which Hookama
took in both of his own, a mode of salutation
precluding treachery, and the two men touched
noses in token of amicable relations between
them, at least for the time.
Hookama's warriors were then allowed to
disembark, and two of them, bearing the presents to the king, followed the two chiefs to the
royal house, the others remaining on shore,
apparently free, but really under guard. Hookama himself, as he well knew, was in reality a




HOOKAMA, A PRISONER A T HA WAIL. 149
prisoner, and both he and his men, on this hostile shore, were in danger of imprisonment or
even death, if the king of the island should
prove unfriendly.
The old king was on the broad lanai of
his house when the little company arrived.
He was a lean, hard visaged savage, rather
small in stature, with a cool, gray eye, and
having the habit of expanding and contracting
his eyebrows, which gave him the look of one
whose ferocity might break forth at any time
in terrible earnest.  Woe to any one from
whom the savage chief averted his eyes, and on
whom the dread sentence, " Face down," was
passed! There was no chance of reprieve
when once the fatal words were spoken.
Hookama felt that the king was not a pleasant object to contemplate. He had just been
defeated in battle. His two bands of choicest
warriors had been absolutely obliterated, and
his bitterest foeman, the treacherous Kahekili,
was master of Maui. The wounded warriors,
whom he had brought back to Hawaii, were
lying yonder, in huts just over river, and their
women were sitting in black tapa before the
huts. In a few days the funeral obsequies of
the slain were to be celebrated, an occasion calling for more human victims, whose heads
would adorn the walls of the hieiau. Under




150     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
these circumstances it was by no means a safe
or pleasant thing to have audience with the
baffled and cruel tyrant.
At a signal from the king, who was surrounded by guards, the giant warrior, with
Hookama in charge, went forward leading his
prisoner, who prostrated himself as was the
custom of the land. Being commanded to
rise, he threw off his feather helmet and cloak,
tightened the malo on his loins, and stood
before the wizened little man, in all the pride
and beauty of his young manhood.
If the king had averted his face, the doom of
the young alii would have been sealed; but the
king had other reasons for deferring sentence.
"Aha!" exclaimed the king, "why has
the king of Oahu thrust you into my hands,
just when I want victims for the god of war?
A fine thing for him to do with his choicest
fighter, after joining against me with that
cursed king of Maui! "
Hookama met the scowling face and threatening words of the king, with steadfast gaze,
as he said in a mild voice: " Noble alii, warlike deeds have no part in my embassy to
Hawaii. May I present to your moiship
Kahahana's gifts, which he sends in token of
his high respect for your valor, and to win
your favor for his chief bird-catcher, who




HOOKA MA, A PRISONER AT HAWAII. I5I
brings in his hands no snares for men, but
only traps for birds? "
The king's lip curled with a sneer as he
replied, " Ha, ha! A bird-catcher in a feather
helmet and cloak! A fine rig for such service! Do you trap the oo and the zamo on
Oahu with their own feathers? Kakuhaupio
here, tells me you tried to catch a pretty big
bird with a dagger at Wailuku the other day;
I'm too old a bird to be caught with your
sticky gum or your flowery speech," and the
old man grinned at his own witticism, looking
around to see if his followers caught the
expression, at which of course they all grimly
smiled.
Taking advantage of the favorable moment,
Hookama quickly turned to his two men and
took the presents, which he laid at the king's
feet. The king picked up the carved spear
and tested its sharp point, with a sly word to
his giant warrior about poisoned tips. Then
he examined the costly ivory clasp, as he
turned it over in his skinny hands, and said,
" My mother named me after this bauble at
my birth and she came from Oahu; but the
Hawaiian chiefs changed my name. It was a
shrewd thing for your king to send me this
gift."
Finally, he examined the precious feather




152    AELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


cloak and placing it on his bony shoulders,
took up the necklace of priceless shells and
counted on his fingers the number of them.
" That is for the comely neck of your majestic and beautiful queen," said Hookama, venturing a remark as he saw the king's face
lighten up while gazing at the ornament.
"Which queen?" quickly asked the king.
"Kalola," said Hookama on the instant; for
he knew that she was his " love-queen," and
that the king took her with him when he went
on his raids.
There was a look on the king's face, as if he
saw the shrewdness of the answer, but immediately the fierce scowl returned, for he needed
victims for the sacrifice to the war-god, far
more than witty speeches and rich gifts. The
old man rested his elbows on his knees and
held his head in his hands, as he fixed his
stern, gray eyes on the handsome youth, muttering under his breath, "A rare prize for
the altar, and eight warriors besides; what
could be more acceptable to the great blooddrinker?" And, without changing a muscle
of his face, the tyrant, whose first thought was
to appease the deity who seemed angry with
him, commanded, " Put them in ward. They
must die. The gods so will. I have spoken."
Then, turning to Hookama, " You may ask




HOOKAMA, A PRISONER A T HA WAIL 153


one favor before you are slain. It shall be
granted, but it must not be a request to live."
HIookama, with folded arms and a proud
bearing, looked into the cold eyes of the king,
but held his peace. No muscle of his countenance quivered. Not a nerve of his compact
frame twitched.
" Make the request! " angrily exclaimed the
king. " I give it because you are as brave as
you are rash. What could Kahahana mean, to
send you here? There is treachery in it."
At this charge, Hookama, stung to the
quick, replied: "There is no treachery, great
king; I make no request."
"But I must grant you one; I have said it."
"Then, let it be death in a spear contest
with your bravest warrior; I am of noble
blood," and he glanced at two stalwart braves
standing near the king.
" So be it," said the king; " lead him away,
Kakuhaupio! You are responsible for his head
with your own. Throw his men-eight of
them, did you say?-into the prison; let the
spear contest be this very day; Kamehameha
shall hurl the death blow. He will not need
to use all his strength. I have spoken," and
the king went into his royal house, with tottering steps.
The savage chief, chosen by the king for




154


KELEA. THE SURF-RIDER.


the antagonist (or executioner) of Hookama,
was the warrior, now thirty-six years of age,
whose fame was in all the islands. He was
named "The Lonely One" (Kamehameha)
and he it was, who rescued the giant from
Hookama and his band, in the recent battle on
Maui. Within a score of years, as has been
said, he was destined to become master of all
the islands, and already, as nephew of the
king of Hawaii, he held large possessions.
Unprepossessing in appearance, and with a
harsh, rugged face, "he was so strong in limb
that ordinary men were but children in his
grasp; in council, the wisest yielded to his
judgment; he was barbarous, unforgiving
and merciless to his enemies, but just, sagacious and considerate in dealing with his subjects. He was more feared and admired than
loved, and in any age would have been a
leader."
"Well, stranger," said this burly chief to
Hookama, as he joined him and his giant
keeper on their way to the latter's dwelling,
"the king, my gracious uncle, says you are
chief bird-catcher to the mnoi of Oahu. Methinks you listen to the singing of javelins
more joyously than to the music of the songsters, although both wear feathers. Is it not
so? "




HOOKAMA, A PRISONER AT HA WAII.   155
" You are right, my alii," replied the youth.
"The ihe (javelin) is pleasanter to my ear than
the iwi (bird), unless my doom is sealed beforehand, as seems now to be the case. But,
if I must die I am glad it will be by the hand
of the mightiest warrior of Hawaii."
"Truly sorry am I," rejoined The Lonely
One, "to be chosen for this office; but at
least I save you from the hands of the executioner and the game shall be fair, I promise
you. We will fight as warriors and not as an
assassin and his victim. The gods so will it
and the king commands." Then he turned on
his heel and went off to make arrangements
for the contest.




CHAPTER XV.


A DUEL WITH SPEARS.
A SPACE was marked off for the spear-contest between Hookama and Kamehameha,
and every advantage of ground and relative
position towards the sun was given the prisoner. A rude platform afforded the king and
his body guard a full view of the scene.
Warriors and women formed a semi-circle
about the arena; drum-beaters were stationed
near the king, and spearmen stood at intervals to keep the enclosure free.
Kamehameha strode into the arena, and
carelessly tossed six javelins, handed to him
by an attendant, into the air, and by a dextrous movement caught them as they fell.
Hookama came forward and when his keeper,
the giant warrior, handed him six javelins, he
tested their strength, breaking three of them,
using only his right hand in doing it.




A DUEL WITH SPEARS.


I57


The two combatants abstained from the
usual taunts, which rival chiefs flung at each
other before battle. This conflict was looked
upon by Kamehameha as well as by the spectators, more as a solemnity with a foregone
conclusion, than as a trial of skill. It was
almost as if they had assembled to witness an
execution.
Some of the Hawaiian warriors, who looked
on, regarded the affair as a matter of course,
but the younger braves wore doubtful faces, as
if their sympathy inclined toward the intended
victim.  If he had been one of the king of
Maui's warriors, all would have rejoiced in his
death, but as a warrior from Oahu, many
deprecated his fate.
Some of the women, who had lost husbands
and sons in the late battles, were stolid and
accepted the sacrifice as a just vengeance;
but many others, especially the younger ones,
admired the handsome young athlete and were
sorry for him as he stepped into the arena with
only a white malo about his loins and proudly
confronted his massive foe.
Among these young women was a girl of
nine or ten summers, whose dark eyes, even at
this trying moment, attracted Hookama's
attention as he walked towards his position.
She was a bewitching little sprite, with raven




158      KILEA: THr S 1 RF-RDER.


locks, a supple figure and clad in a rich tapa
mantle, flowers covering her head and neck.
She stood near the king in a haughty attitude,
but with her keen eyes full of sympathetic
interest. Hookama, ever susceptible to female
charms, even though displayed by a mere
child, was about to take a second look at the
proud beauty, when he caught sight of the tall
figure of his antagonist and, forgetting all else,
strode forward to meet him.
The young alii was allowed to throw his six
javelins first. Then he must stand as a target
for the six spears of his opponent. If he
caught or parried these, (a thing which the
spectators thought to be impossible,) even
then the king might order him to be slain.
Sometimes, an exceptional display of skill and
courage resulted in the reprieve of the victim.
In this case, however, it seemed as if his fate
were sealed which ever way the contest turned.
Hookama noticed, as he advanced towards
The Lonely One, that the eyes of the warrior
were searching the crowd, as if to discern the
presence of some one. It was in fact, to
catch a glimpse of the dark-eyed maiden
noticed by Hookama that the warrior turned
his gaze away from the young alii. But it
was only a moment before Hookama felt the
power of his terrible eyes fastened upon him.




A DUEL WITH SPEARS.


159


self, and when at the signal the young man
threw his first javelin with little force, as if
husbanding his strength, the big chief smiled
as he caught it between his thumb and finger
and laid it on the ground.
Before Hookama had flung his fourth
weapon, Kamehameha perceived that his
antagonist was no mean opponent. The fifth
taxed the warrior's utmost skill in parrying,
and when the sixth hummed through the air,
it was only by the most agile dodging that he
escaped its point.
As it was, he failed to catch the javelin,
which struck the earth, entering the hard soil
the full length of the tip. The warrior bit his
lips with apparent vexation and only a wholesome fear of his wrath prevented the chiefs and
warriors that stood around from applauding
the stranger. A half-suppressed laugh from
the pretty child who stood near the king
reached the big chief's ear and brought an
angry flush to his face, which boded no good
to the young man, whose prowess the little
witch had so unadvisedly commended.
The good sense of the chief, however, gave
him control of himself, and, with a show of
magnanimity, as if dealing gently with the
young man, he hurled the first spear and
the second in such a way that if they were not




160o     tLEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


caught or parried, no injury would be inflicted
by them. The third javelin he aimed more
directly and the fourth with still greater precision and force. All these Hookama caught
but there were two left and the spectators
held their breath, fearing that the young alii
might not be able to catch or parry them. The
feeling throughout the assembly was intense.
The fifth javelin, coming with terrific swiftness, Hookama avoided by a quick movement
to the left, but as it passed him it grazed his
shoulder, inflicting a slight wound. The sixth
and last weapon was poised and there was a
profound hush, as the crowd watched the giant
gather himself up, by a supreme effort to finish
his adversary.
The heavy javelin was raised aloft by his
strong hand. The muscles of his arm swelled
with the tension of his grasp on the weapon.
Then leaning backward to gain the utmost
leverage, the mighty chief, with all the tremendous force of his huge frame, hurled the
spear straight at the breast of the young man,
who stood firmly on his feet awaiting the dread
missile.
There was a scream, as the child near the
king fell on the earth. The dust from the
ground where Hookama had been standing rose
in a little cloud, and the form of the youth,




A DUtEL WITH SPEARS.


I6I


prone on the ground face forward, lay extended
at full length.
It was but an instant; and before the
spectators could recover their breath Hookama
arose and without the movement of a muscle
of his face, looked first at the child who had
been assisted to her feet, then at his huge
opponent, who immediately came forward
and took him by both hands.
The youth had not caught or parried the
weapon, but, with admirable presence of mind,
he had dropped, when the javelin was in midair, and it had passed over his head, leaving
him unharmed. It was a display of coolness
and alertness, which, if not so wonderful as the
catching or parrying of the spear, was a feat
of which few were capable. The women and
warriors crowded into the arena, and were
giving vent to their admiration of the stranger's bravery, when the king's harsh voice was
heard, commanding Kakuhaupio, who stood at
his left, to despatch the youth offhand.
The shouts of the crowd about Hookama
subsided, as the rasping voice of the king fell
upon their ears; but the towering form of the
chief, to whom the royal command had been
given, remained motionless, in spite of the
angry glances and excited gestures of the
king.




t61     ARLBtEA: TIHf SVUR-RIDER.


"Your august moiship," said the chief in a
loud tone, " I am your loyal servant, but I am
not your mu (assassin). Let your executioner
perform his office! " and the speaker looked
unflinchingly towards the king, who foamed at
the mouth, swore vengeance by all the gods
and called to two stalwart spearmen of his
guard to slay the young man or take the consequences of their disobedience.
The men sprang forward, but were met by
the bulky antagonist of Hookama, who waved
them back with his spear. The king cried out
in his fury, exasperated beyond measure:
"Treason! Seize the traitors and  " But
before he could finish the sentence, Kamehameha, saying, "No treason, my moi," stepped
to his side and whispered words, inaudible
except to the king's ear. The effect was instantaneous and surprising; the king's countenance changed from wrath to astonishment.
He looked into the warrior's eyes as if to be
reassured of the truth of what he had said, and
received the reply, " As true as you are moi of
Hawaii."
Before the king could formulate a further
command, from the-other side he heard the
voice of his most trusted and shrewdest priest,
who also spoke to him in an undertone. Then
the king raised his head and in words tremu



A DUCEL WITH SPEARS.       163
lous with excitement ordered Hookama to be
bound and led away to prison.
"See," said he, sternly, "that a double
guard be placed around the strong cell; you
will answer for the prisoner with your heads."
They bound Hookama's arms behind his
back with a strong cord, and leading him away,
placed him, without further indignity, in a small
enclosure reserved for prisoners of state.




CHAPTER XVI.


MENEHUNE, THE DWARF-GIANT.
DAYS and weeks passed and no tidings
came to Pu' Aloha at Oahu from the absent
Hookama, for whom she longed. The old
chief, Numuku, having received some vague
rumors, which he interpreted in accordance
with his own wishes, was wary and showered
every favor known to him upon his poor
victim, who saw in his gifts his desire to keep
up her spirits till her lover's return.
She seldom spoke of Hookama in his presence and when she did talk of him, he managed to hide his real sentiments and started
some other topic of conversation. It could
hardly be called " conversation," inasmuch as
the old man grunted his assent in most cases
and let the girl say what she pleased.
He grew more and more fond of her, after
his savage fashion, admiring her increasing




MEVEHUNE, THE D MARF-GIANT.


roundness and amused by her attentions to
himself. She made much of him, weaving
fresh leis for his adornment and sending her
women for the choicest fruits, which he gulped
down, with the gusto of a gourmand. Sometimes in the evening, when he stretched himself on the royal mattings, she chatted gaily to
him of the little incidents of her daily employments and sang for him the love-songs of the
people. It was remarkable that he made no
amorous advances, but perhaps he thought the
right time had not come.
As the weeks lengthened into months and
Hookama did not come, Pu' Aloha's heart
grew weary of waiting. Each sunset she stood
looking for the expected canoe, which she felt
must come out of the bright glow of the west;
and it was on one of these days, just at the
quick turn of twilight into a cloudless night,
that she stood as we have depicted her, watching, with eyes shadowed by her hand, that she
might see farther towards the lessening horizon.
Intent on her quest, and espying a speck in
the far distance which might be the longexpected approach of Hookama, she did not
hear the heavy step which came behind her,
and her name was twice spoken before she
turned her head.
It was Numuku, whose eagle eye had already




i66     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


discovered the dot on the blue expanse of
waves, with a point upwards which he knew
was the peculiar tip of the three-cornered
sail of Hookama. The chief had come hurriedly to the brow of the cliff, to spy out the
thought of Pu' Aloha, to whom he whispered
as he came near, " I think 'tis he; now go and
be happy. Your Hookama [he almost hissed
the word], will be here before the white crests
of the reef are lost in the darkness."
As the night came on with the least possible
twilight, he gently took the young girl's hand,
and together they slowly walked towards the
houses of the women. Pu' Aloha trembled as
he left her, bidding her sleep to-night and
wake in the morning to embrace her lover.
In a tremor of excitement she obeyed and
went to her own house, where her servants
were squatting outside the low door, and then,
dismissing them, she loosened the folds of her
pau and flung herself down, not to sleep but
to dream-the waking dream of innocent love
and hope, now almost a reality.
The chief quickened his strides as she disappeared, and sent for one of his most trusted
inferior chiefs, to whom with stern voice he
gave command to send a party with spears to
transfix any stranger, coming through the
opening in the reef, whether swimming or in a




MENEHUNE, THE DWARF-GIANT.


x67


canoe; he added fiercely, "Bring his head to
the heiau and leave his body to the sharks."
On pain of his utmost displeasure, he commanded him to watch the whole night rather
than fail of his errand. He warned him not
to enter his presence, if the man he was to kill
was not slain. He threatened him with the
dread sentence " Down face," if he failed, and
almost shouted with anger, as he answered
"Hookama!" to the man's question who the
victim was, that he was to kill.
In her house, lying quietly and looking up
at the stars, through a crevice in the thatched
roof, Pu' Aloha heard that name, faintly borne
by the light wind to her ears, and the hot
blood coursed through her veins and mounted
to her cheeks, as the sound seemed to tell her,
by invisible messenger, that her beloved was
near at hand. With a prayer to the goddess,
the protector of virgins, she at last fell asleep.
No one had seen a pair of glittering eyes,
belonging to a queer head, peering out from a
bunch of cactus only a few feet high and
growing near the chief's house, where he had
given his orders to the assassin; but Menehune's ears were long though his body was
short; his heart was in the right place, if his
mouth was somewhat awry; and he had scented
mischief when he heard his master order the




i68


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


men to the reef. When the name of Hookama
vibrated in the air, he knew what it meant to
Pu' Aloha, but he lay low till the chief had
turned into his house; then, slipping along
close to the ground, he crept out of the
enclosure under a patch of broad banana
plants, and once in the open ran like a deer
for the beach, where he ensconsed himself in
a snug hole in the sand, which he scooped out
far enough from the scene of action to be
unobserved by any of the natives watching
the inlet through the reef. The tide was coming in and the dwarf grinned as he felt the
muscles of his legs and knew what they could
do in swimming and running, and of his arms,
strangely attached to his sturdy body, but equal
to any arms of a more symmetrical trunk.
Nobody knew whether he was called a dwarf
because, when he stood up, he was taller than
other natives, or because, when he sat down,
he was much shorter; but perhaps the term
dwarf-giant, by which he was sometimes known,
would be more appropriate.
Menehune, though a clown with many of
the peculiarities of an animal, had a native
shrewdness which resembled the instinct of a
dog. There was something merry and waggish about him, too. He was full of pranks
and antics. He could climb a cocoa-nut tree




MENEHUNE, THE DWA4RF-GIANT.


I69


for the fruit like a monkey; crack the nut with
one hand; swing around crags where no one
else dared to venture; the superstitions of the
tribes had no meaning for him; his head could
not go far enough in that direction to see the
reason for the performances in the heiau, but
he could look on and wonder what it was all
about.
The ugly heads of protecting images along
the outside wall of the priest's enclosure had a
queer fascination for him. Perhaps he saw a
certain resemblance, in the hideous shapes and
faces, to himself. At any rate, he was not
afraid of them, nor overawed by them as other
natives were. Once he had a freak, during a
sacrificial ceremony which was performed by
night, and climbed up and seated himself between two of the ugliest of them, squatting
down as if one of the spectral conclave. It
tickled him immensely when several of the underlings passed by without recognizing him in
the gloaming, and ever after, when he wanted
amusement, he took his seat among the gods.
He even conceived the idea of taking the
place of one of the idols, which he lifted off the
wall and hid in the bushes, while he sat motionless, with all the gravity and hideousness
of a worthy substitute.
At such times he carried with him some red




170     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


and black paint, which he had stolen, and with
which he smeared himself into quite a striking
resemblance to the deity whose function he
had temporarily usurped. He certainly was
far more worthy of worship, and could have
defended the heiau more valiantly than the
painted wooden stumps humped on the broad
parapet of loose stones.
Leaving Mene' to his own musings in the
sand-hole, which gradually filled with water as
the tide came in, we catch a last glimpse, for
this eventful night, of Numuku, who, after his
cruel mandate had gone forth, entered his own
door and hung a piece of tapa before the opening. There the savage nursed his hatred and
wrath, which were soon, as he believed, to be
appeased by the death of his rival. Like a
fierce tiger he rolled over and over on the
figured mats, gnashing the teeth that were left
to him, and praying, after the imprecatory
style, to Lono, Pele, and all the wrathful deities, to make his plans succeed.
On the beach at Waikiki the sound of the
breakers was louder than usual, for a stiff
breeze was blowing from the sea, and dark
clouds after the sun had set filled the western
sky. The crest of Leahi (Diamond Head)
stood forth in gloomy majesty, as the spray of
the waves was flung over the rocks at its base.




MENEHUNE, THE D WARF-GIANT.


I7I


Menehune crouched in his sand-hole and
watched the white line of the shore, where dark
figures ran to different points to catch a
glimpse of any object appearing on the billows
as they rolled tumultuously toward the beach.
He kept a sharp eye also out to sea, as he
chuckled to himself at the thought of outwitting the wily alii, whose murderous designs he
had discovered.
The storm came rapidly from the south, as if
the god of the winds had uncovered the cavernous gourd in which it was believed he held the
blast, letting loose the fury of a tempest. At
last the dwarf's eager search was rewarded by
the sight of a canoe at a long distance outside
the foamy reef. It was a mere speck, hardly
discernible by the sharpest eye. It had no
sail, and whether it contained a human being
or not was a matter of conjecture. There was
no possibility that if it had an occupant he
could pass the breakers in it, much less find
the one inlet through which in calm weather it
was safe to pass. The dark watchers along the
beach had lighted a fire to illure the imperilled
mariner toward the entrance.
They knew he could not stay in the canoe
in the midst of the squall, but as Hookama
was a mighty swimmer perhaps he could reach
the shore alive; they sought to attract him, in




172     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


such a case, to that part of the beach where
they could despatch him in his half-drowned
condition, or easily find his body if it were
washed ashore. They hoped that the god of
the sea would save them the trouble of engaging in a struggle with such a powerful fighter,
even though exhausted in his contest with the
waves.
But they congratulated themselves that he
was only one, while they were ten stout warriors, every one armed with a spear.
Their eyes were so intent upon the limited
space where such an experienced sailor as
Hookama would attempt to land, that they
regarded the southern circle of the shore with
less scrutiny.  Besides they had seen the
canoe once or twice as it rose on the highest
crests and always nearly opposite the point
where they stood watching.
The storm increased every moment in violence. It was one of those fearful tornadoes
which occasionally swept over the islands with
great power, coming up rapidly and accompanied with more or less of tidal phenomena
and a trembling of the earth.
It was at the very height of this tornado,
with vivid flashes of lightning and the rolling
of thunder, that Menehune, quaking with fear
at the unusual manifestations about him,




MENEHUNE, THE DWARF-GIANT.


I73


lifted his head out of the hole in the sand and
saw, far off in the sea, as a flash of extraordinary brilliancy lighted up the entire horizon,
an immense wall of dark water, apparently
rolling in towards the reef. It was not surmounted by the usual white foam; but when
it reached the coral rocks, it rolled completely
over them and in a surge of boiling spume,
rushed with a loud roar over the shallow spaces
towards the land.
There was no time for the dwarf to escape
it, even if he had kept his wits about him, and,
dumbfounded as he was, the immense mass
struck him before he could even rise upon his
feet, lifting him like a feather and, carrying
him far beyond the straggling line of bushes
back from the beach into a low-lying thicket a
hundred yards inland, left him half-drowned,
clinging to a small tree top, bent to the ground
by the violence of the onset. Fortunately for
him, his involuntary clutch upon the tree saved
him from the less powerful thrust with which
a second volume of water, following hard after
the first, struck him and took away what
breath he had left. It was like one of the
tidal waves, not so tremendous and destructive
as sometimes swept over the Hawaiian coasts,
but sufficiently strong and high to break several of the cocoa-nut palms, hundreds of feet




174     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


away from the beach, which had withstood
the storms of half a century.
When Menehune came to himself, lying in
the sand and ooze and seaweed which the
refluence of the waves had left, he was too
startled and exhausted to extricate himself at
once. The jungle, in the midst of which he
was lying, with its tangled growth of young
trees, vines and bushes, was beaten flat, a
thickset, compressed mass, the supple stems of
the plants and trees having yielded to the force
of the wave. He lay in the center of the mass,
covered with slimy debris, stupified for a moment. Soon, the dogged pluck of his nature
returned to him, and by a strong effort he disengaged himself, his long legs greatly assisting
his exertions. His first thought was of Hookama; what had become of him?
Fearful as he now was of the sea's angry
might, he yet mastered his terror in his anxiety
to know the worst concerning his friend. He
stood on the shore straining his eyes, as flashes
of lightning came, to discover any object
thrown on shore by the waves, but keeping a
good lookout towards the horizon lest the
great wave should return.  He ran up and
down the beach which was hollowed out in
places and heaped up in huge piles of sand.
The soles of his feet slipped on thousands of
fishes flung on the shore, but not a trace of




MEANEHUNE, THE D WARF-GIANT.


175


any living creature could he discover and no
object as large as a human body, except one
immense sea monster, which lay wriggling and
gasping, but which he did not even think of
stopping to examine.
After he had made sure that there was nothing for him to do but to go back to his home
in Nuuanu Valley, he found a gap through
which he could reach a field and so gain the
path by the plains to which he was accustomed.
The storm still raged, but its greatest force
was abated. Occasional gleams of lightning
helped him find his way. He stumbled on
and was nearly to the line where the tidal
wave had spent its flow, when in the glare of a
vivid flash he saw a lumpish mass, lying in his
way.
Seeing that it was a human body, without
stopping to think whether it might be one of
the spearmen or any other, his one idea being
Hookama, he lifted the limp form without
examining it and slinging it over his broad
back hurried on in the darkness to gain a safe
place where he might deposit the load. With
his great strength he easily carried the body,
that seemed to grow warm in contact with his
own flesh, and, though he tripped now and
then, he reached a grassy slope under a clump
of trees and put the inanimate form on the
ground.




CHAPTER XVII.


AN ASTONISHED DEITY.
THE dwarf was utterly aghast as he stood
over the body, looking down at it and seeing,
when the forked lightning threw upon it a
fitful glare, that it was a woman.
His disappointment because it was not
Hookama made him recoil for an instant from
the object at his feet, which somehow he felt
had cheated him of his prize.
Soon forgetting his first impulse to leave
the body to the scavenger birds, he stooped
down, partly out of curiosity and partly with
the instinct of humanity, and feeling with his
hands, perceived that the woman was alive.
The signs of life were very feeble pulsations of
the heart; the limbs were cold and the skin
was clammy, but as he rubbed and kneaded
the body, he at last heard a moan and felt a
slight tremor of the muscles.




:: ::i:::
i s
I::
_~
-:-I ---:-.:_;i;__:_::.:i; -;;;;_; i —_i;:;::;I_:: i:-::;:::-:;_i:; —::i::::: : -::I:::,, __ ___ i  -is i:- ii..'.:l.' -:: —-':;...'.;;..-::ZY
X
~s?l; ^ "~'~
i -
SURF-SCENE




It




AN ASTONISHED DEITY.


177


He had brought the woman to this resting
place in a most rugged manner, with head and
chest hanging down, so that the sea water,
which filled her lungs, had run out, and the very
jolting of the rough porterage had been of use
in her resuscitation. It was a miracle that
she was alive at all; either the tidal wave had
caught her on the beach, or, what was barely
possible, if she had been the occupant of the
canoe, the gigantic wall of water might have
lifted her over the reef and brought her on its
mighty crest to the shore.
Seeing that the woman lived, the dwarf
renewed his exertions, the rain still falling in
torrents, till, by and by, partial consciousness
returned and the woman opened her eyes,
closed them, and breathing regularly moved
her legs as if in pain.
Menehune was in doubt what to do next,
but remembering that there was a cave, at the
base of the cliff Leahi, (Diamond Head) which
jutted out into the sea, he determined to
carry the woman there, and wait till the storm
was over. This time he took her up more
gently and carried her with one of his arms
around her waist and the other about her
lower limbs, with her head resting on his left
shoulder. It was quite a distance, but the
dwarf had found the trail which he well knew




178     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
and at last deposited his burden just within
the opening of the cave, and sat down on the
ground to rest.
He was no expert in the lomi process which
he had administered; his pounding and pinching were rather severe; he had left the torn
tapa cloth around the woman's waist where it
had been tightly bound with a cord; and
now, as he sat at the mouth of the cave, he
wondered if he ought to continue the exercise
in order to restore the woman wholly.
He squatted beside her; took hold of her
hand and as the lightning's brilliant glow
illuminated the place from time to time, he
felt of her fingers one by one and tried the
joints; drawing through his big hands the
long locks of her dark hair, he gathered them
in two bunches and spread them carefully over
her neck and bosom.
He had rolled the body over and over like a
log, when he was working at the inanimate
form. He had squeezed the muscles as he
would have pinched a banana, or, perchance, a
dog-but now that consciousness had returned
to what had been only a substance to be handled, the woman became a reality to him;
something to be treated as he had treated his
mistress Pu' Aloha; to be touched, if at all,
with a sort of reverence.




AN ASTONISHED DEITY.


179


Menehune had never before known the sensation of holding a woman's hand in his own.
So far as any palpable contact was concerned,
he was wholly without experience. The women of the chief's enclosure, who let him play
around like a sort of pet animal, regarded him
as a senseless creature, with a sort of canine
attachment to his friends.
But now, a new sensation came to him; a
vivid, acute feeling, at first like a twinge of
pain; then something akin to the satisfaction
he had felt while basking in the sunshine. It
was the dawning of a rude sentiment in his
nature, which changed him ever after from a
loutish, clownish animal with affectionate instincts, into a perceptive soul, alive to experiences in which the higher faculties find play
and development. The glimmer of the new
light was feeble, but the dawn would deepen,
even if it never came to perfect day, in his
simple soul.
The storm still raged without. The dwarf,
revolving vaguely his new sensations in his
feeble mind, took his usual attitude, with his
knees higher than his head, and waited patiently, watching the slightest movement of
the woman as the light came at intervals
through the entrance of the cave.
Turning at last uneasily and flinging her




8o     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


arms above her head, an action which caused
the blood to circulate more freely, the woman
opened her eyes, looked about her with a
dreamy gaze, and tried to sit up. Instantly
Menehune was at her side, and placed her
body in a leaning posture against a stone
which jutted from the side of the cave; then
he resumed his former posture, and fixed his
eyes upon her.
The young woman tried to pierce the gloom,
which was now and then illumined by a flash
of lightning. She could dimly discern the uncouth figure silently staring at her, with knees
and head like the idols she had seen on the
walls of her father's heiau.
The trembling of the earth and the strange
noises within the cavern, like the wailing notes
of imprisoned voices, blended with the reverberating thunder-peals without; and altogether
the effect on the girl's half paralyzed brain was
overpowering. She shut her eyes, but even
the anxiety created by the situation could not
keep her from venturing a look, now and then,
at the grotesque being whose eyes gleamed
like a basilisk's. Seeing him remain as still as
if cut out of stone, she became more tranquil
in his presence, and at last was emboldened to
break the oppressive silence.
Covering her face with her hands almost in



AN ASTONISHED DEITY.


I8i


voluntarily, with a tremulous voice she said:
" Dear god! tell me, I beg; am I in heaven or
hell? What god are you?"
Having put these leading questions, as if
frightened at her own audacity in speaking to
the only real, living and present god she had
ever known, she sank back against the wall.
The sound of the woman's voice, which had
conveyed little meaning to his ears, brought
the dwarf-giant again into the realm of his
former consciousness and he tumbled himself
into a heap at her feet, as he was accustomed
to do in Pu' Aloha's presence. Then, with
the return of the new feeling which his recent
experience had awakened (a sort of reverent
regard for a higher being than himself,) he
prostrated himself before her, making a still
more extraordinary, amorphous spectacle of
himself.
His gaunt, misproportioned body, with his
monstrous legs and bulging joints sprawling
behind him, seemed even more than ever in
harmony with the girl's idea of a deity, such
as she was accustomed to imagine. Trembling
with a new anxiety, her agitation increased as
she almost shrieked: " Do not spring at me,
0, Kane;" she thought his attitude that of
one preparing to leap on avictim. " Only tell
me which god you are and I'll be your slave;




182     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


serve you; feed you; bring you squid, anything. Don't kill me, I beg, I pray-" and
she clasped her hands in an attitude of intense
supplication.
The cave shook with a louder peal of thunder and the dwarf, too simple to see the absurdity of it all, cried out, in a shrill voice as if
to overcome the noise of the elements, "Me
no Kane! me Menehune, Menehune." The
girl mistook his name, which she heard only in
part, owing to his thick utterance and the
loud clap of thunder, and thinking he had said
mali-u (the word for a deified, deceased chief),
she fell on her knees and pleaded with the
supposed incarnation of a warrior's ghost to
spare her from the "oven," in which, she had
been taught, the spirits of departed chiefs in
Hades cooked those who descended whole;
that is, without their flesh having been separated from their bones at burial.
Menehune was sadly nonplussed at the
attitude she assumed and did not understand
what she meant to say; but hearing the word,
"oven," he thought she was hungry; so up he
jumped and ran out into the storm as fast as
his legs could carry him. Near by was a tall
cocoa-nut palm, which nodded its plumes
violently at him, as, with the agility of a monkey, he climbed and brought down a nut;




AN ASTONISHED DEITY.


I83


cracking the shell on a stone, he carried it to
the trembling captive in the cave and deposited
it in her lap.
During the "deified chief's" absence the
young woman had settled back to await developments, in great perplexity and anxiety,
not knowing whether or not her new master
had gone to heat the oven in which she was to
be cooked. When he brought the cocoa-nut
and gave it to her she was somewhat relieved,
and when he said, " Eat," her first exclamations were the natural queries of an Hawaiian
woman, " Do the gods let wahines eat before
them? Can women have cocoa-nuts in heaven?" (A fruit tabu to them on earth.)
No wonder that the poor thing was dazed,
almost crazy and sadly demoralized by what
she had been through. She was drenched
and had been half drowned; and now the
tempest, the gloomy, resounding cavern, the
thunder and lightning and more than all this
creature, half-monster, half-man, as seen in the
fitful flashes, unsettled the little reason she had
left. Disregarding her question, Menehune
held the cocoa-nut to her mouth; made a
gesture for her to drink, and when she had
drained the reviving draught, being assured
that after all she might still be living in her
usual fleshly tenement, she put another ques



184    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


tion to the dwarf, this time in a more natural
tone of voice, and asked him, " Where am I?"
His only answer was " Cave."
Again when she said " Oahu?" she got no
reply, for Menehune never before had heard or
known the name of the island on which he was
born. She tried other words, but there was no
intelligent response and it reassured her to
think the "god" was perhaps only a halfwitted fool.
The storm cleared away as suddenly as it
came on. Two hours after midnight the sky
was clear of clouds and the stars shone with
unusual brightness. Light came in at the
cavern's mouth and Kelea had the first full
view of the dwarf, standing outside in the starlight, whom she had before seen only in
shadow.
She saw at once that she had been frightened
without cause. The grotesque figure did not
appear to be formidable at all, although she
had never met such a creature in her life. She
took in the situation in a moment and when
Menehune came to her in a quiet way as if to
receive her commands, all her courage and selfpossession returned.
Stepping out under the stars she took an
attitude of dignity and repose; she made signs
indicating that she had come far over the sea,




AN ASTONISHED DEITY.,85


and when Menehune, showing more comprehension, pointed to a collection of huts, Kelea
said " Mauka! " (towards the mountains,) and
holding out her tattered skirt, added "Pau"
(petticoat): She wanted him to understand
that he must take her to the hills and that she
needed a larger sample of tapa around her
waist.
The dwarf was really abashed and timid in
her presence, after she resumed her natural
manner. When, in a little while, he found her
kind he began to understand better what she
tried to tell him. After a time, her gesticulations proved more effectual than her ejaculations, and the dwarf picked her up in his arms
and started in the direction she indicated. The
ground was strewed with fallen branches, heaps
of stones, and earth which the torrent had
brought down the sides of Leahi, so that
Menehune stumbled along, sometimes nearly
falling; finally, he put the woman on the
ground and grunted out "A uwe! auwe!"
(Alas, alas), as if it were useless to try to go on
after that fashion.
Motioning him to get down on his knees,
Kelea mounted his shoulders, and placing herself astride of his neck, held by his head and he
crossed his arms over her limbs in front. The
good-natured fellow, with a guffaw, which




86      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


showed that he took in the situation, at once
started off with steady step, and Kelea, all
unwittingly, thus inaugurated the fashion
which Hawaiian women eagerly adopted, when
years afterwards horses were introduced into
the islands.
There was not a four-footed animal on any
of the islands, except dogs, swine, lizards and
mice, until Vancouver, in I793, landed a bull,
a cow and afterwards some sheep.
The general public of Oahu had, however,
very little chance of seizing upon Kelea's invention in a practical way, since the darkness
left the novel combination in befitting obscurity. Had any chance observer happened to
meet the composite pair during that droll
promenade, he would have fled for his life,
spreading broadcast the story of an apparition
of the god of the sea, by whom the furious
tempest had been aroused.
The device of Kelea answered every purpose; she was too weary and bruised to walk;
Menehune was equal to the emergency and
strode onward, over the wide plain; by the
entrance of Manoa valley, around the back of
the extinct volcano now called Punch Bowl;
over the ridge leading towards a round hill,
now known as Tantalus, and climbing along
the western side of Pauoa valley, he at last




AN ASTONISHED DEITY.


arrived with his burden at a lonely spot, where
stood a grass house with a lanai (verandah),
close against a beetling cliff. All along the
way they had come were uprooted trees,
deserted or dismantled huts and signs of fearful devastation from swollen streams flowing
down the hills towards the plains and the sea.
But the strong fellow cared nothing for torrents
or obstructions, carefully wading through the
one and picking his way over the other.
The spot he had chosen for the end of the
trip was in a nook of the mountainous ridge
which looks down upon the magnificent pass of
Nuuanu. From the top of Tantalus, one can
see, across the valley, the terminus of five or
six ridges which, like the fingers of a man's
hand, stretch in a northern direction far
away. These ridges have steep sides, and
except near their summits are clad in perpetual
green.
Through the nearest ridge, the pass of the
Pali, which leads to the plains of Kailua,
cleaves its rugged way. On the left of the
pass is a precipice, a thousand feet in height.
Above it rises a peculiarly sharp-edged, rocky
peak, and the scenery on all sides is surpassingly grand. The high mountain on the right
side of the pass is called Kouahuanui.
It was on a secluded cliff of this mountain,




i88


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


overlooking the sublime prospect, that Kelea
dismounted from her improvised steed. The
earliest rays of the morning sun began to light
up the scene and revealed to her the dim outlines of the lofty peaks. An abrupt termination of the path by which the dwarf-giant
brought her showed that there was no further
passage in that direction.
Turning towards the house where all was
dark and silent, she saw a large grass dwelling,
a garden of flowering plants and shrubs, a
patch of ground for yams and a clump of sugarcane, which in the islands flourishes even at an
elevation of fifteen hundred feet.
The house stood against the side of the
cliff, which formed a high wall; above the
habitation, the beetling crag, with vines and
ohelo bushes, made a sort of flowery protection, for it projected over the house and shed
the water from above into the ravine. After
the heavy rain of the night, quite a stream
poured over the cliff, and the spray diffused
itself throughout the atmosphere. When the
sun shone upon this occasional water-fall, a
rainbow arched the place; a romantic spot,
ever green and bright.
Kelea caught a momentary glance of the
beauty of the scene, but hurried through the
spray to the verandah, where Menehune im



AN ASTONISHED DEITY.


I89


plied by a gesture that she should wait till
he aroused the occupant of the interior.
Shivering in the cold, which at this altitude
was rather severe, the girl paced impatiently
up and down, wondering what would befall
her. Only a moment or two passed when
Menehune came out, leading by the hand an
aged woman, whom he guided towards Kelea.
The woman, thin, wrinkled and with a scar
on her otherwise pleasant face, was evidently
blind, for she felt of Kelea's countenance and
then passed her hand downwards. Finding no
tapa except the ragged pau and its tattered
pendants, she began to talk fast to Menehune,
in a jargon of which Kelea could understand
only a few words. The dwarf comprehended
if the girl did not, and went into the house,
returning with a roll of thick tapa, which the
old woman at once wrapped around the
chilled girl.
Evidently, Menehune had told his mother
(for such she was,) all he knew about the
wahine, and it was not long before she led
Kelea gently indoors and made her sit down.
When the dwarf saw that the stranger, after
eating a hearty meal, dropped into a sound
sleep on a couch of mats, he at once started
down the cliffside, and when Pu' Aloha awoke
the next morning she found her faithful Mene'
as usual before her door.




CHAPTER XVIII.


" FEATHER-MANTLE."
WE left Hookama a prisoner at Hawaii,
after the angry king of Hawaii had ordered
him to be kept under strict guard. The exhausted and dispirited youth sank down in a
corner of the dark cell in a state bordering on
prostration. The strain on his body and mind
produced a numbness of the nerves and a torpid condition of the brain. The reaction
made him indifferent to life or death. He
suffered no apprehension, but fell into a sort
of stupor, a dreamless, deadening sleep.
It was midnight when he was partially
aroused by the flicker of a kukui-nut torch
and the heavy tread of human feet. Half-conscious, he felt the cords on his cramped arms
and remembered that he was a prisoner. The
approaching figure he thought was the king's
mu (assassin) and, as it was of no use to resist,




" FEA THER-MAANTLE."


I9I


he lay passive, awaiting his fate. What difference to him whether the end came sooner
or later?
He was aware of rough fingers untwisting
the ropes from his arms, and with a sigh of
relief he stretched out his hands. Somebody
was talking, whether to him or not he did not
know or care. Soon, another figure came in
and kneeled beside him. The two strange beings rolled him over on his side. He made no
resistance; why should he? Then they took
his limbs in their hands and twisted the
joints; they pounded his flesh and muscles.
He wondered if it were the torture. They laid
his passive body upon mats and rubbed the
skin, pouring on a liquid, till the prickling
sensation resembled that of the tattoo process
with thorns.
By and by, a feeling more pleasurable than
painful ensued, and Hookama wondered if it
were that preceding death, which he did not
dread in the least. Finally, conscious of being
not only alive but fairly comfortable, he
stretched his legs, sat up and found a gourd at
his mouth from which he took a long draught
of the stimulating awa, mixed with water, and
a gruel of poi.
His eyes by this time were accustomed to
the dim light in the cell, and he recognized the




192


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


face of the big warrior who had refused to
kill him at the king's command. The recognition was so joyful to Hookama that he smiled
and managed to utter the difficult name of his
friend, "Kakuhaupio." At this, the other
man left the cell.
Without giving in detail the conversation
which followed, the substance of it was as
follows:
It was the little witch of a child, who stood
near the king during the contest with spears,
that prolonged Hookama's life. The burly
chief, Kamehameha, was infatuated with the
girl, whom he meant to have for his wife by and
by, although she was now betrothed to the
king's son. She was an arch-coquette and had
been greatly taken with Hookama. When
she heard of the intended duel, she went to
the fascinated chief, over thirty years her
senior, and cajoled him to promise not to kill
his antagonist. Otherwise Hookama would
certainly have been slain by one of the six
javelins.
The change that came over the king when
he ordered Hookama to be bound instead of
being killed off hand, was occasioned by the
mysterious words, whispered in his ear by
"The Lonely One" and Hewahewa, the
priest.




" FEA THER-MANTLE."


I93


The one had said, "The young alii is an
envoy from Oahu with an important, secret
message. If you kill him, you will regret it."
The other, the priest, whispered: "The youth
is the son of a god; I have learned his pedigree, and you kill him at your peril."
"Now," continued the chivalrous chief,
"you will be brought before the king tomorrow. He is capricious, and just now he
chafes at his disappointment in not securing
any prisoners alive to sacrifice to the war-god.
Yet you may possibly save your life if you are
shrewd. You told me you came as an envoy
from the king of Oahu, on a secret mission.
You did not tell me what it was. If the king
is favorable to your message, he will not want
to destroy the messenger. However, the old
man is an odd being. There is at least a
chance for your life."
Hookama thanked him for his kindness and
then said abruptly, "Who  is that little
maiden that has such power over the men? She
surely has bright eyes and a charming form.
But how does she get such influence?"
"Aha," replied the big chief, "you ought
to know. I saw you look at her, when you
started in for the fight. She is Kaahumanu,
Feather-Mantle, the daughter of Queen Namahana, who is the sister of the king of




194      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Maui; curse him! He drove them    away
from the island. Our king has taken them
under his wing and he is very fond of the
child. But now, get some more sleep; you'll
need all your strength. The guards here are
my own men. They will take you for a bath
in the river in the morning. Aloha!" and
the large-hearted chief hurried out of the
prison.
At early dawn, the guard led Hookama to
the river where he plunged in and disported
himself as if no care ever weighed on his
mind. He displayed his wonderful skill as a
swimmer, and the guards were looking on with
admiration, when suddenly from a clump of
bushes Feather-Mantle appeared and, leaping
into the water, swam like a water-bird towards
the young alii.
When she approached him she shook her
raven hair over her face so that the youth
could see only the glances of her keen, black
eyes. In the friendliest manner, Hookama
praised her skill as a swimmer, whereupon she
tossed back her locks and allowed her face to
be seen. He thought her smile more attractive than her bewitching form: but he had
no time to improve the acquaintance. She
quickly said, "Alii-nui! Don't be afraid. The
king shall not kill you. I came out to tell




" FEA THER-MANTLE9." 


I95


you, and the guards must not hear me;
Aloha! " Before the young man could reply,
she turned and swam for the shore.
Hookama thought it best not to follow
her, and so waited in the stream, till she
emerged and her wakines threw over her
shoulders a gay mantle of tapa, decorating her
head and neck with wreaths of fragrant
flowers. Then he swam to the shore; but with
one arch look behind her, the charming creature
hurried away and was soon lost to sight.
When Hookama stood before the king, his
arms having been bound again behind his
back, the two giant-chiefs, his keeper and his
antagonist, stood on either side, ostensibly to
guard him, but really to reinforce his courage.
The king, after the young alii had prostrated himself, commanded him in a stern voice
to approach, and motioned the chiefs to stand
back. Then in a lower tone he said to
Hookama, " My priest tells me that you are
the son of a god. Is that true? Answer me
on your life."
"Alas! your moiship, I know not my parents. I am of noble birth, but whether my ancestors sprang out of the earth or descended
from the stars, I cannot say."
The answer satisfied the king better than if
Hookama had affirmed a divine pedigree and




196      KELEA; THE SURF-RIDER.
named the god from whom he had come; for it
was the mystery of his origin that assured the
king of the truth of what Hewahewa the priest
declared.
Again the king spoke: " You have a secret
message for my ear alone, I am told. Speak,
and let your words be few. I like not a secret
message from an enemy."
" Fling me from a cliff," calmly answered
the youth, " if either my king or myself can be
counted your enemy, even if we fought with
Kahekili against you. It was by constraint.
Your moiship has an eye that searches my
heart. Kahahana sends no hostile message.
He has a word for your ear alone. He trusts
you, as he distrusts the crafty king of Maui."
The king's face assumed an expectant and
interested expression.  "Kahekili would rob
my king of his kingdom. My king wants your
mighty hand to crush the robber. The day
that sees Hawaii and Oahu united will shine
on one tyrant the less. Maui will be yours,
and Oahu free."
There was excitement in the old man's eyes
as he replied almost in a whisper: " Kahahana's
warriors will never fight against the king of
Maui under the war-gods of Hawaii. Would
to Kane that we might join forces against our
common foe. But the gods do not so will.




" FEA THER-MANNTLE."


197


Your king will again join the dastardly robber
against me, and a bard from Oahu will chant
my death-song. But I shall not have long to
await the ghost of Oahu's king in the realm
of Kane. The king of Oahu is the tool of
Kahekili; I will not betray him, but the
tool will suffer at the hand of him that uses it.
I have spoken."
The old chief dropped his head and was
silent for a moment; then raising his eyes, he
said: " But you are the son of a god. I see it
in your face. There is only one like you in
the land. Yonder he stands, and the child is
holding him bythe hand. He will rule after
me, and you will serve him."
Astonished at these words Hookama simply
replied, "But I am to die by your hands.
One more request only and I am content.
Send a trusty messenger to my king, that his
mind may know the mind of Hawaii's king."
The king looked hard at the youth, to see
what would be the effect of the announcement
that he was about to make, and then said:
"You will go back to your king. The gods refuse to receive you as a sacrifice. My priest
has sought the oracle. You are free.-Here,
guards, unbind the prisoner!-Only the warriors who came with you shall be laid on the altar. You can go whence you came."




198    XELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


"What!" exclaimed Hookama, forgetting
his assumed composure, "My men sacrificed,
and I go back? Never! never! "
" The gods so will it, and I must have victims to appease their anger. Go, young man,
and thank the god you serve that you escape."
" Bind me again," cried Hookama in a loud
voice, holding out his arms to the guards who
stood with the cords in their hands. "Thrust
me into your vile prison. I die with my
friends, or we all return to our island. You
call me the son of a god! As such, I say to
you, king though you are, that the gods will
have no such sacrifice.  Kahekili himself
could not perpetrate such a crime; if  "
" Seize him," cried the king. " Strangle him
at once! Son of a god! We will see if Kahekili can be outdone; who cares-"
The priest who was standing a little distance away, came suddenly forward and laid
his hand on the king's shoulder. " My king,
have a care! You are forgetting yourself.
The gods demand no such propitiation."
Then turning to the two giant chiefs he said
in a low voice, " An evil spirit possesses our
mighty king. We have provided other victims."
The chiefs thus addressed consulted a moment and then said to the excited king, whose




" FEA THER-MANTLE."


199


hands trembled as if shaking with palsy: " It
is right that the young man expiate his fault.
The priest forbids the sacrifice either of him
or his followers. But the gods take vengeance
on their despisers. Send him to the fire goddess. If he escapes her wrath he is dear to
the gods and we are guiltless. If he is consumed in the flames of Pele, his doom is just."
The king, still unappeased, was weak in the
hands of his two mightiest chiefs, and, finding
these leaders of his army resolute and insistent, gave orders to pack the strangers off at
once. He wanted them out of his sight. To
Pele they might go, but they were never to
see his face again. He cursed them as he retreated to his house.
Thus Hookama gained what he most desired,
a visit to the domains of the Fire Goddess.
He had intimated this desire to the giant
warrior, and, as it was made known to him
long afterwards, Feather-Mantle had won
Kamehameha over to the scheme, in hopes of
saving him.
Lest the decision should be revoked, the
young alii was hurried to the beach; the
eight warriors were released and sat with
paddles in the canoe. A crowd of natives
stood on the shore; the two friendly chiefs
had given Hookama directions for the voyage




200    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


and a token for Keawe, the chief of Hilo.
The youthful chief stood in the surf ready
to embark, when suddenly Feather-Mantle,
followed by several of her wahines, rushed
from the crowd; their hands full of leis
(wreaths), and dashing through the shallow,
rippling surf they covered him with flowers,
making him, much to his surprise, an animated
overgrown bouquet with all the colors of the
rainbow.
Gallantly the youth bent down to the laughing maiden and laid on her raven tresses one
of the choicest of the garlands she had given
him; then he bent his knee, half in jest and half
in earnest, as if predicting for her the royal
honors which would crown her brows in years
to come. But he did not know that she was
to be the famous queen regent, who after
Kamehameha's death would break the Tabu,
and with Hewahewa's help abolish idolatry
from all the islands.
Waving his alohas to the chiefs, as he leaped
into his canoe, he noticed, the last object
meeting his eyes, a smile on Kamehameha's
face, as the "Lonely One" looked down at
his future bride and rejoiced that there was
one man the less, handsomer than himself, to
attract the attention of the flirtatious little
maid.




CHAPTER XIX.


PELE, THE FIRE-GODDESS OF KILAUEA.
THE northern coast of the island of Hawaii,
from its western cape, Upolu, in Kohala, to
the bay of Hilo, a distance of sixty or seventy
miles, is a dream of beauty as seen from the
sea. This windward side of the island presents to the voyager a succession of lofty
ridges, stretching from the interior in irregular,
curving lines, and cut off at the coast. Each
end projects its smooth, precipitous front to
the waves from the north, which fling their
spray far up the cliffs.
Between these colossal, headland ridges,
gloomy valleys are scooped out, submerged in
shadow, impenetrable, and canopied by fronds
of tropical trees and plants. No canoes lie at
the mouths of these retreating vales, for the
jungle of convoluted, tangled vines and
shrubs, kept moist by constant showers, is too




202    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


formidable even for a savage, bred to the work
of forcing his way through pathless thickets.
High above in the distant background, the
volcanic mountains, which dominate and often
devastate the lower lands, wear their mantles
of snow, except in unusual seasons of summer
heat.
It was along this marvellous coast, with its
picturesque and irregular outline, that Hookama, after his release, sailed gaily in his warcanoe towards the bay of Hilo, the most tropical
and delicious of all the garden spots of this
Liliputian group.
At last, the little party arrived at Hilo and
were conveyed by the chief Keawe, to a
little island a few rods from the main land,
where preparations had been made for their
entertainment. Cocoa-nut Island! a favorite
resting place of royal chiefs. The tallest
cocoa-nut palms wave over it. Branches of
trees are there reflected in the stillest of pools.
The breeze that stirs their fronds causes no
ripples on the side of the island towards the
shore. The sands that surround this lovely
spot are the whitest, and the mossy turf under
the shadows of the palms is the softest. The
graceful pandanus trees, with a dozen or more
supporting stems growing from the trunk to
the ground, incline towards the mirroring




COCOA-NUT ISLAND)




;-:`:; -- -; -'; IF: li. 111 ----::-.-:-1..:___: (_- --- —-~




PELE, THE FIRE-GODDESS OF KILA UEA. 203
waters. Soft, gray mosses droop in rich festoons from branches and trunks, some even
dipping in the pools.
Here Hookama rested after a bath, while his
warriors were escorted to the village as guests
of the chief. The night was cool; the sounds
of distant revellers and the noise of their drums
scarcely reached his ears. The rippling waves
upon the sands were musical to him as he lay
on the mossy sward and dreamed; dreamed of
Oahu, of Pu' Aloha, of Kelea, and FeatherMantle; waking dreams, but all the more fascinating because they were real.
He dropped asleep, just as he called to mind
his purpose to seek on the morrow the strange
haunts of the goddess Pele, whom the dwellers
on Oahu worshipped only as a distant deity,
whose terrors scarcely troubled them in slight
earthquake shocks at infrequent seasons. Now
he is to meet her and her fiery ebullitions, at
the mouth of the volcano which was her home.
As he slept, there appeared to him a vision
of a woman divinely fair, of immense proportions and surpassing form. As she lay on
beds of black lava, her breasts were twin
mountains covered with snow and her limbs
were like fiery streams of molten gold. Her
face was like the sun in its brightness and its
expression was fascinating to his eyes.


i
I




204    KELEA. THE SURF-RIDER.


He seemed to be kneeling in the presence
of the goddess'and professing ardent and enduring loyalty. Then, in his dream, the image of
Pu' Aloha appeared, weeping and dejected.
She reproached him for his devotion to a new
deity, and at once the goddess, whom he had
seen in splendid majesty, became a fury,
belching smoke from her distended nostrils and
shaking a forked lightning-flame with her hand.
Her hair, scintillating with sparks and brittle
as glass, fell over him in hot showers and burned
into his flesh and eyes. A yawning chasm
opened at his feet and he was falling headlong
into it, still gazing in terror at the apparition,
when-he awoke with the sun's early rays full
in his face and a lizard, the dreaded moo,
was crawling over his limbs.
Beautiful as the Cocoa-nut Isle might be to
others, it no longer had any charm for him.
He arose, looked around and found his warriors,
who had been brought back during the night,
drunk with awa, and were sleeping off the
effects of their debauch. Jumping into a canoe
drawn up at the edge of the beach, he paddled
to the main land and, inquiring the way, soon
found himself in front of Chief Keawe's house
with its broad lanai (verandah).
The chief was taking his morning meal, fruit
and poi, and received him cordially. Dipping




PELE, THE FIRE-GODDESS OF KILAUEA. 205


his fingers with the chief into a large calabash
of the national food, which natives adore and
which foreigners avoid, Hookama won the
chief's heart by his frankness, and the two
men planned the journey to the volcano, from
which the chief tried in vain to dissuade the
youth. Keawe discussed the dangers of the
undertaking and the capricious nature of the
dread goddess, but finding the young alii
resolute, offered him provisions and a birdcatcher as a guide.
Hookama expressed a wish to go at once, before the sun was hot, and Keawe thereupon
summoned a native who was not only a mountain climber but an expert bird-catcher as well.
His name was Lou, meaning a fish-hook, and
given to him because his bow-legs corresponded
to the double bend of the fish-hook in common
use.
What was Hookama's surprise to see in this
chosen guide, a little man about thirty-five
years old with an anatomical structure like a
monkey; having a thin, scrawny body bristling
with hair; a face tattooed with lizards; luminous eyes that sparkled with drollery; a
puckery mouth; a top-heavy head, and legs as
crooked as the limbs of a /au-tree.
" Here, Lou! Make your Aloha to the alii,
and show him what wonderful things you can




206     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


do," cried the chief as this extraordinary specimen made his obeisance to Hookama. Keawe
then took a bow and arrow, such as chiefs used,
not in war but for shooting mice, (the only
hunting they had on the islands). Giving the
bow and arrow to the man, and, standing up
some thirty paces away, he made a circle with
the thumb and forefinger of his right hand,
extending his arm to its full length from his
side.
Lou drew the arrow to its head on the bow
and let it fly at the chief's hand. The arrow
passed through the circle without harming
thumb or finger, though the chief did not
move a muscle or show the least concern. Then
Keawe turned to Hookama and said: "The
little scamp can cut the stem of a cocoa-nut on
the tallest palm, but this is the only weapon
he knows how to use. He will, however, do
better by you than a dozen spearmen among
the mountains.
"Give my Aloha to the goddess," said the
friendly chief, " and be sure you sacrifice two
pigs; else you'll be food for her hot oven.
We will look for you after seven suns, or rake
in the ashes of the next lava-flow for your
bones." These were his reassuring words as
he started the ill-assorted pair on their perilous
tramp.




CHAPTER XX.


LOU, THE GUIDE TO THE VOLCANO.
Lou, the guide, was one of the many
strange human products of this land, where
women fondled puppies and left their own
offspring to look out for themselves; where
swine were allowed more license in the grass
huts than boys and girls, and where a demigod, a defunct chief, was supposed to assume,
at will, the form of an immense black hog;
where aristocratic birth demanded obesity in
the women of the court, and where mutilation
of the features, in honor of a dead king, was
common among the chiefs.
Lazy, reckless, half-tamed, no wonder that
many of the young men were deformed, halfwitted and diseased. Fortunately, leprosy
was not introduced into the islands until the
Chinamen appeared in the next century.
Lou couldn't remember that he ever had any




208     KELEA: THE SURF-RJDER.


parents, but attributed his unique physique,
when questioned concerning his history by
Hookama, to his birth under a tree that was
withered at the top, and his hairy body to the
fact that a favorite puppy had been his fosterbrother.
But the two bird-catchers, travelling ostensibly for that purpose, got on famously together. Hookama became much attached to the
bow-legged little fellow and chatted gaily with
him as the pair walked briskly along the side
of pools where the natives were bathing and
a few of them gathering fruit and flowers
from the luxuriant vines. After an hour's
walk, they struck into a jungle, by a path
which allowed them to go only in single
file.
The air was humid and hot, even in the early
morning, but in no other atmosphere could be
produced the wonderful growths of vegetation
that revealed nature in her most prodigal
moods. Ferns, tall as trees; fern-trees, with
fronds pluming from their tops or hanging
from their sides; immense kukui trees with
mossy trunks, covered with clambering vines;
wild fruit trees; spiked plants -with long
stemmed blossoms; vast wastes of tangled roots
underneath and miles on miles of brilliant
foliage overhead; all this variety, with luscious




LOU, THE GUIDE TO THE VOLCANO. 209


wild fruits, which Lou, who went ahead with
sidelong strides, ached to pluck, but which even
his agility did not enable him to gather from
the impassable labyrinth.
The men walked in a sort of variegated twilight, although it was broad day; a revelry of
color; heaven's blue hidden and earth's rarest
hues everywhere prevailing. There was not a
snake nor a reptile to make it dangerous to
cross the mouldy bottom-brakes, but an entanglement quite as fatal, of roots and vines,
clung to the limbs or clasped the body of any
one who left the beaten track.
Hookama had seen no such jungle on Oahu.
Only on this more southern island did the clear
light of the sun give place to the myriad hues
of overarching vines and flowers.
After two hours, the change to daylight and
a ridge where huts were found and tall palms
stood sentinel, was like emerging from a zone
of roseate and amber tints into clear white
light. Then passing over immense masses of
cooled lava, where stunted bushes and tough
grasses grew, the pedestrians picked ohzelo berries and finally came at night to a grove of
palmettos where they stretched out in the hollow of a lava-bed, in delicious rest after their
toilsome march.
It was a little more than thirty miles from




210     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Hilo to the volcano of Kilauea, and on the
morning of the second day, the atmosphere
became cold. Lou did not appear to enjoy
the change. He hunted for cracks and seams
which emitted vapor and steam. They were
a better tonic to him than rarified air. He sat
on the edge of a crevasse and hung his feet
over the side of it in the comfortable mist.
The sight of snow on Mauna Loa's curved
summit gave him the chills, and as for going
near the crater to get warm, he could hardly
entertain the idea. With his cracked voice he
repudiated the whole trip and wondered how
Keawe had allowed them to attempt it.
Here indeed was a dilemma for Hookama.
"Could he go on alone?" He saw the thin
column of white vapor terminating in a cloud,
which the risen sun gilded as it floated over
the sea of fire, and Lou said, "That is the
smoke of Pele's oven and her horrid house is
down below it."
But if he went on alone, could he leave Lou
behind? What sort of a guide was the little
old man after all? Was he loaned to him by
the chief, to be an incumbrance like this? And
besides, where were the black pigs, which Pele
exacted from those who entered her fiery
realm?
To all these questions, as Hookama poured




LOU, THE GUIDE TO THE VOLCANO. 211
them into Lou's ear with expressive gestures
and vehement words, the miserable, crooked
fish-hook of a man answered nothing; he only
kept on warming his toes in the cracks of the
lava, looking longingly in the direction of his
sunny home near the shimmering sea.
The detonations, occasionally heard from the
direction of the crater, served but to harden
his determination not to budge. He said
Hookama might kill him if he chose, and toss
him instead of a black pig to Pele; she would
like him better than a hog, he did not doubt:
but as for facing her flaming wrath, and looking into her face and eyes, he couldn't do it,
and by Kane, he declared he would not.
It looked as if Lou were afraid. Hookama
began to be frightened also, but for other reasons.
He was fearful lest he should not win the fiery
smile of the dread goddess, nor hear her deafening voice. Then, with the disappointment,
there would come the ridicule of Keawe and
the bandinage of Kahahana, Paao, and even of
Pu' Aloha, at his return.
He stood and looked sorrowfully at the
little creature, half hidden in the lava crack;
that woe-begone face haunted him; the bony
fingers, fumbling and twitching at the stick he
held in his hands, indicated imbecility. Was
the man becoming demented through fear?




212     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


That drivelling speech, as Lou mumbled incoherently to himself, was it delirium or giddiness? Hookama drew nearer, and saw big tears
running down the hollow cheeks of the stupid
clown, as he drooped, with his head over the
crevice, from which the sulphurous steam came
up in a thin, hazy, yellowish mist.
Then he laid his hand on Lou's shoulder and
shook him to arouse his wandering mind; but
observing him narrowly, he thought he discovered a gleam in those tearful eyes which meant
something very different from disorder of the
faculties; there was a lurking keenness in the
orbs quite unlike the appearance of a dulled
brain. At that instant, a slight trembling of
the ground, like the first, feeble throes of an
earthquake, caused Hookama to spring back
from the opening with a vague apprehension
that the crevice might close up, calling at the
same time to Lou to take his legs out of the
crack. What a horror, if the fellow should be
caught by his lower limbs, and, clenched by
the tough lava, be held fast to linger till he
died!
But the Kanaka did not move a muscle and
Hookama saw at once that his apprehension
was groundless. It was a passing fear which
was soon dissipated, and a feeling of anger
took its place in the young alii's mind. He




LOU, THE GUIDE TO THE VOLCANO. 213


started towards the misshapen creature, with
an impulse to tear him from his stupid position,
set him on his feet, give him a thrashing and
make him lead on.
But the little chap was too quick for him;
before he had advanced two paces, Lou grasped
the bow and arrow lying at his side and fitting the
arrow to the string, aimed it straight at the
alii's eyes, while his expression changed in a
twinkling from that of dullness to the most intense shrewdness. Hookama's hasty movement
was arrested by this unexpected change in the
situation, and holding up his hand to protect his face, he called out to know what was
meant by this sudden performance.
Thereupon Lou gave a whistling sound
from his lips and began to laugh and dance about
in the most extravagant fashion. If he had
acted like a muddle-headed coward before,
his ridiculous antics now savored of the most
irrational mirth. Hookama stared in wonder
at his preposterous performance; if it had not
been for the fellow's half humorous look about
the eyes, he would have thought him even
more idiotic than when he sat gibbering, with
his legs dangling in the crack.
When Lou found that the impression he had
made upon the alii, whatever it might be, had
worn off, he stopped his absurd exhibition and




214    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


assumed his usual attitude; the change was so
instantaneous and the man fell into his customary voice and manner so naturally that
Hookama cried out, "What demon has got into you, to make you act so much like a fool?
You sit over the mouth of Milu (hell) like a
coward, and then you dance a crazy dance like
a maniac. What do you mean? "
"Mean? Noble alii-nui! I always give
the foreign aliis a chance."
"A chance?" responded Hookama inquiringly, for he had not the remotest idea of the
man's meaning.
"Ae, ae; a last chance to go back. Many a
brave chief has come up here with me and when
I've sat in that 'yellow crack in the ground,'
has gladly seized the chance to go back and
let Pele alone. I tell you they are afraid of the
fiery goddess, and when they see that cloud of
white smoke from her ovens and feel the earth
trembling the least quake they get so scared that
they want to leave, without even saying Aloha
to Pele. And I always help them off," added
Lou, with a malicious twinkle in his eye and
a wicked grin on his face, which made the
wrinkles show from chin to forehead.
"Then they make me swear by all the gods,
not to say anything about it, and I always
swear my biggest oath and I keep my promise,




LOU, THE GUIDE TO THE VOLCANO. 215
too. If I didn't, my game is over, and I can't
do it again."
"But why do you want to do it again?
Did you think you could scare mze? "
"I do it again as often as I can, to get rid
of climbing over the big heaps of lava in the
crater, and getting the hogs for Pele, which is
not a little pilikia (bother) I can assure you.
I am always glad to get off and go back; they
give me a larger reward, too, to shut my mouth;
They never tell; they don't call me coward
either. Most of them go back when I act like
that. I tell you the biggest, bragging warriors
are terribly afraid of Pele, but I don't care
that," snapping his fingers, " for all her ' shooting fire,' if I only watch the signs at the crater
and keep cool. Many a terrible fighter," added
this queer little man, " can't bear the sight of
a mouse. If he sees one run across his path
in the village, he will go home and stay in all
day, no matter what he wants to do outside; "
and Lou, who never handled a spear in his life
in a battle, chuckled over the foolish timidity,
in ghostly matters, of warriors whose courage
in war could not be questioned.
Having delivered himself of these sarcastic
remarks, the clever little skeptic laughed and
laughed till the tears ran down all his wrinkles.
" I wasn't quite sure about you, but I thought




216     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
I would try and see. You're the right sort,
my alii-nui, but there is a lot that ain't."
"Come then," said Hookama, growing impatient at the long delay, "let us go on; we
haven't much of the day left to us." So on
they went towards the home of the fiery deity
and her attendant goblins of flame.
It may be mentioned, before we pass on with
them, that the " crack" is called " Fish-Hook
Crevice " to this day, whenever tourists, having found it, ask their guides to tell its name.




CHAPTER XXI.


AN OFFERING TO PELE.
As they strode along, Hookama inquired of
Lou how he managed to cry when he was
fooling at the crevice. "Oh, that was easy
enough," replied the kanaka, " you try it yourself over a sulphur crack and see if the tears
don't come."
It was soon evident that they were approaching the lake of fire (Hale-mau-mau)
with its nine miles of circumference, by the
immense masses of cooled lava which through
the centuries had flowed over the lip of the
crater, and by the sulphur beds which lie
towards the west.
About a mile from this sulphur plain, and
before the travellers came upon it, they arrived at a depression in the mountain, covering hundreds of acres and filled with rank
grass and a few scrubby plants. i' Here," said




218     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
Lou, " are the wild hogs from which we will
get a couple for Pele. It is the custom and
we may as well conform to it, because, if we
chance to meet Pele's priestess, who lives in
Hilo and comes up now and then to sacrifice,
she will tell Keawe that we did not give the goddess any offering. Then woe to me! Oh, she
is a terrible woman. If she points out a native,
the priests have him secretly strangled, and
even the Chief Keawe is afraid of her wrath.
But now take care; this low ground is full
of pit-holes and seams "-and without further
remark away ran Lou, as rapidly as if the entire area were safe as a road and smooth as a
floor. It was only a few moments after the
guide's disappearance, when Hookama heard
his voice calling for help. His cries were intermingled with squeals. He followed the
musical sounds and discovered Lou at the
bottom of a big hole struggling with a porker.
It was no easy thing to subdue a wild hog in a
hole in the ground.
Hookama was inclined to take the part of
an amused spectator, while the contest assumed a comical aspect, first the guide over
the pig and then the pig on top. Occasionally
the beast slipped one side and the scramble
becamelively. At last Lou managed to sit
on the pig and having an interval of repose




AN OFFERING TO PELE,


219


looked up at Hookama with a pathetic expression while his bowlegs were wound around the
animal, holding him fast.
The guide's expression of utter helplessness
threw the young alii into an uncontrollable
fit of laughter, which angered Lou and gave
him strength enough to grasp the pig by
the tail and the long snout, and throw him
up towards Hookama. The athletic youth
somehow caught the animal, and now it
was his turn to sit on him while Lou scrambled
out of the hole. The scion of many generations of chiefs, with the help of the guide,
managed to tie the four legs of the pig together with a cord of cocoa-nut fibre, and then
Lou went off for a second offering to Pele,
which was procured more easily.
To carry a pig, the natives usually strung it,
back downwards, on a pole which they placed
on their shoulders, two men to a pig. But
this time, there were two men and two
pigs. Each therefore was obliged to carry his
own burden on his back. Under these conditions, it was impossible for Hookama, holding
the struggling, squealing porker on his shoulders, to contemplate with appropriate solemnity the supernatural possibilities of the
occasion. At last they emerged upon the
brink of the immense circle whose cliff-like




220     IELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


walls enclosed the area of the crater. Down
into this chaotic depression they had to
scramble bearing their noisy and active victims.
And when the two men, with varying emotions connected with their melodious porterage, had descended the precipitous side of the
crater and toiled over vast mounds and billows
of cooled lava, grouped in monstrous and fantastic forms like petrified antidiluvian Saurians,
Hookama's chief thought was to rid himself
of his annoying burden as speedily as possible.
This he did the instant he arrived at the
"house of everlasting fire."
Each cast his struggling victim into the
seething cauldron of molten lava, and though
it was required of Pele's worshippers to invoke
her favor by a formula of submission, Hookama forgot all about it, and Lou thought
such a waste of good pork needed no waste of
words. Thus, the final squeals of the victims
were the only ritualistic utterances that accompanied the sacrifice.
When the offerings were duly acknowledged
by a sputtering hiss as they plunged into the
fiery waves, a marvellous change came over
the spirit of the young alii. If it is an easy
step from the sublime to the ridiculous, a
sudden transition in the opposite direction involves indescribable emotions.




$~
llii
Pi~: 9ic
i
"% ~-~i.
~-.~~~t
lar
a siii f:
a:, a;1.1
1~I~ I"i-S4FM
ij'9"
ikil r

iZesj~a~i d
i]
~-E
IF* ,.;~~i
1,
~ —nk~
6i
~, 1~li:;r~S
~:
di?:
18




1
I




AN OFFERING TO PELE.       221
It was at the verge of the less awful lake of
fire (for there were two of them) that the
twain dropped their burdens into the flames.
Then Lou led Hookama across more rough
surface of the great crater and, saying that he
was going on watch, clambered to the top of a
cone of lava about twelve feet high, perching
there and munching a banana which he had
brought with him. He threw the banana skins
into the hole of the cone, which had served as
a chimney for escaping gases, and looked down
into the seething whirlpool of fire forty feet
away as unconcernedly as if he were gazing at
a calm landscape from the top of a tree.
Not so Hookama! Although somewhat
reassured by the careless attitude of his companion, the emotions that took possession of
every faculty of his soul were absolutely overwhelming. Lou had left him in a tolerably
secure place, on a bank of hardened lava, overlooking the pit a thousand feet in diameter,
where the fiery sea raged, leaping upwards
and bearing on its molten billows huge blocks
of red-hot lava-which were again sucked
downward in eddies of the agitated mass.
Hookama had often stood on the verge of
cliffs when the sea was lashed into fury by the
violence of storms, and had seen the waves in
the shock and recoil of terrific encounter with




222    TKELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


the sharp pointed rocks. That sight he had
enjoyed, as any bold youth, accustomed to
wild scenes of nature, would enjoy a contest
in which familiar forces are engaged with boisterous fury. But here were new elements of
wholly unknown, bewildering and fierce agencies on which his eye had never looked and
which his imagination had never conceived.
Storms, hurricanes and even earthquakes were
less appalling, in comparison with the fierce
rage and delirium of a fiery gulf, belching
steam and hurling hot masses into space.
One may brace himself to confront the sea
or a tempest; but the paroxysm of flaming
waves and fuming fire-spouts leaves him no
resources with which to wage battle. A fierce
jet of flame, reaching out to clutch an object,
be it a man, a tree or a tower of rock, is a
monster from the central depths of the earth,
which it is useless to oppose. The spirit of
man reels when it encounters the heat of effervescing exhalations from boiling caverns underneath his feet.
Fling a tree-trunk into the angriest waves
and it appears again, but let a block of wood
however huge touch the surface of a whirlpool
of fire and it disappears at once and forever.
No whistling of the wind in the most furious
storm can equal the deafening noise of com



AN OFFERING TO PELE.


223


pressed and heated air, suddenly issuing from
a rent in the earth. No vortex, even of the
spouting cave of Kaala, can devour the waves;
as the centripetal action of a whirlpool of fire
carries a wallowing mass of lava into the depths
below.
Everything, below, above, was infernal; the
shrieks, the flame, the moving mass, the
mantling lurid clouds, the caving banks and
glittering showers of scattered lava falling
back into the horrible chasm, all raged and raved
like fiendish embodiments of beings hot from
the unutterable realms of agony and despair.
Hookama was overpowered by the awful
scene; convulsive throes shook his powerful
frame, and terror, for the first time in his life,
seized him, and made his heart pulsate with
throbbings so violent that he almost sank
upon the lava hillock where he stood. Then
the mysterious and tremendous sights and
sounds fascinated and intoxicated him; coolheaded as he was under ordinary conditions,
now he longed to get nearer the quivering
monster, which seemed alive and conscious of
his presence.
It beckoned him to its embrace. It was animate with a personality. Out of the foldings
of gray, glistening lava surfaces, eyes of fire
looked at him, as if claiming him and urging




224     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


him to come. A great seam from which sulphurous steam escaped with deafening noise,
warned him of the danger, but he heeded it
not, although he was conscious of the peril.
He crossed the crack and stood over the
abyss, as if ready to leap into its embrace.
Suddenly the sound of a surge striking below
was heard; the ledge on which he stood trembled and shook; still the infatuated gazer hesitated, and would have stayed transfixed, had
not something jerked back his palpitating
form. A moment later and the projection on
which he had been standing split off and was
engulfed in the fiery lake.
A human voice recalled him to himself, as
he lay panting on the ledge, at the very edge
of the fissure he had so wildly crossed; it was
the high-pitched, squeaky voice of Lou, who
sprang from his perch, as he saw Hookama
drawing near the pit, and had caught him
in the nick of time. It is hardly conceivable
that the little fellow could pull back the
stalwart man, but the peril gave him almost
superhuman power and his friend was saved.
With eyeballs seared, hair and eyebrows
singed, the soles of his feet like parchment and
the tapa he had worn, scorched, Hookama
lay supine and powerless; the Kanaka stood
astride his body, as if afraid he might attempt




AN OFFERING TO PELE.


225


the perilous experiment again. "You're too
good an egg for that oven, my alii," said the
bow-legged rescuer. We gave Pele two pigs;
isn't that enough? must she have an alii for a
companion, too? I thought you had more
sense than a hen; and I didn't want to deliver
your ghost to Keawe, without your bones.
Ka, ha, ha! But it's getting hot here; climb
up on a blowhole, and look down into the
pit if you want to, but we can't stay here.
See, see!" he exclaimed, with terror in his
voice, "the mound shakes! Jump ---umnp!"
and the two men had just time to leave the
hillock, when that too fell with a fearful crash,
and they saw it rolling, till it tumbled with a
splash and a boom into the molten sea below.
The surface of the fiery lake was sinking.
The whole crust of the larger crater heaved
and swayed; the inactive blowholes far and
near emitted steam and gases. Even the one
on which Lou had been seated gave out hot
vapor, and on the right, a big stream of red
hot lava burst forth and ran in a torrent down
the side of the mound.
It was a fearful moment. Hookama had no
time to think whether Pele had a hand in these
disturbances or not; the two men ran for
their lives. They dodged the steam jets from
the seams; they held their tapa to their faces




226       ELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
to enable them to breathe as they crossed the
smoking sulphur beds, and had it not been for
Lou's general knowledge of the surface and
of the action of the larger crater, they must
have missed their way and been caught in the
erratic movements of the oscillating crust.




CHAPTER XXII.


A CHALLENGE TO PELE.
IT was two miles and a half to the place
where they had descended from the cliff,
which was like a wall extending nine miles in
circumference around the volcanic basin.
When previously they crossed the surface of
this immense crater carrying their pigs for
Pele's maw, the distance seemed shorter to
Hookama, so intense was his expectation of
the spectacle awaiting him.
But now, the course stretched out interminably. They could not shorten the distance
by climbing out at some other place, the
wall elsewhere being almost perpendicular.
To add to their distress, they saw on the cliff
above them a strange figure, wildly gesticulating and shouting in a shrill voice unintelligible words. Lou was much more alarmed than
Hookama.




228    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


" It is the priestess, and she is angry with
us." The Kanaka was more afraid of her than
of the fiery crater.
Sharply defined against the sky, the woman,
with dishevelled hair and rasping voice,
screamed her maledictions on the impious
intruders, who had dared to invade the
sanctuary of the goddess, without the aid of
her consecrated priestess. Invoking curses on
them as they ran breathlessly over the heaving
and swelling crust of the crater, she kept
abreast of them in their course, with the evident intention of meeting and confronting
them when they should come up out of the
black valley of death, in case her prayers for
their destruction did not take effect.
Lou's undevout and scoffing spirit could not
resist the terror with which the old Kehuna inspired him. He cared nothing for her sorcery
and incantations, but if she denounced him
to Keawe or the priests, his life would not be
worth the value of a shell upon the shore.
She soon recognized him, as he came nearer,
and all the passionate demonstrations at her
command broke forth in a flow of denunciation
like the fiery rush of a lava stream. The little
heathen trembled like an aspen leaf. He besought Hookama to go on before, though both
were running as fast as their legs could carry




A CHALLENGE TO PELE.


229


them over the unstable crust, and he declared
he would jump into the first crack they came
to, unless the alii would placate for him this
demon of a witch.
To pacify the Kanaka, Hookama climbed
up the zig-zag bank, as soon as the wall of the
large crater was reached, leaving Lou to come
on when he could muster enough courage to
meet his dreaded enemy. Much to his surprise, the aged hag met him as he emerged,
held out her skinny hand to help him up the last
steep ascent and bowed before him reverently,
calling him alii-nui (great chief), with various
posturings and expressions indicating good will.
" Why did you, oh, sorceress! curse me and
call down Pele's wrath upon me? " asked Hookama, as soon as he could interject a word.
" Ah! alii-nui! Son of the gods, of whom
it has been whispered in my dreams; behold
me the guardian and priestess of Pele. Those
she destroys, I curse; those she saves, I bless.
My curses were on you, lest you perish and I
had not cursed you. I curse whom Pele destroys and I bless whom Pele saves. How could
I know that she would save you and that miserable, bandy-legged despiser of the fiery goddess?"
"Then you must now bless us both, oh
Kahu! for Pele has saved both; and my




230    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


comrade Lou," (who was listening under the
cliff and poked his head up at hearing this
conclusion,) " he too has made his sacrifice to
the dread ruler of Kilauea."
" Spoken like a chief and the son of a chief,"
replied the priestess; and Lou echoed the
sentiment under his breath, as if much relieved.
"Come," continued the old crone, "and be
safe under my roof. To-night will witness
Pele's most sacred rites.  See," pointing to
the Lake of Fire, " how she lifts her columns
of flame to the skies."
It was indeed a fearful manifestation of
power; both lakes were sending fountains of
red-hot lava into the air, which vibrated
with intonations and reverberations.
The Priestess led Hookama (Lou following
at a few paces in the rear and keeping behind
the chief,) along the bank till two small huts
were reached, on the western and upper cliff of
the crater, from which point a view was had of
the burning cauldrons, miles away and hundreds of feet below.
The darkness came on apace. But for the
flames of Kilauea, the gloom would have been
oppressive. In the glare of the fiery pit, the
heavens were bright with lurid beams and the
oval crest of Mauna Loa was seen beneath
the stars. The clash and roar of the crater




A CHALLENGE TO PELE.


231


sounded like thunders of artillery as Hookama
and the Priestess sat upon the cliff, near a fire
which the Kahuna, human enough to shiver in
the cold, had kindled. As for Lou, he crept
into the hut provided for guests, and soon
dropped off to sleep.
On a ragged mat, with a thick mantle of
coarse tapa over her bony shoulders, her gray
hair, thin and blowing in the wind, the prophetess sat gazing steadily at the coruscating fires.
Higher and higher the molten jets were flung intotheair from the awful laboratory of flame.
So grand was the sight that Hookama felt the
strongest impulse to worship that he had ever
experienced.
"This must be the work of a god," he murmured to himself; loud enough, however, for
the Kahuna to hear the words. Turning on
him her strange, glittering eyes, she answered
his thought, "Ae-ae! K'Alii, the terrible volcanic deities rule here; let him who denies it,
light a kukui-torch and see;" (that is, compare
the light of a candle with that of the volcano.)
"Now, the most benignant of Pele's sisters,
adorned with garlands, hangs her fiery flowers
in the sky. But let her unappeasable sister, the
heaven-rending one, show her might and we
sit here at our peril."
"Then, you really believe in Pele and her




232    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


tribe?" said Hookama suddenly, as if giving
utterance to the deepest questioning of his
own mind.
"Believe in Pele?" the offended witch
quickly and angrily replied. " Believe? I
know-See, see, there she rises out of the
abyss; my eyes burn with the sight-shame
and grief to him who doubts! "
Hookama looked towards the smaller crater
and from the incandescent abyss a fiery spray
arose; out of the spray, a white cloud, thinning, spreading, glowing and sending abroad
a radiant reflection like the arms of an aerial
divinity dropping hot showers into the molten
mass below. Then from the apex of the column, far up towards the stars, a burst, blood-red,
revealed a fiery cluster like a crown resting on
the head of the goddess of fire. A sudden
movement of the arms-a boom-a crash-and
the fountain of gold and blood and mist sank
into the glowing furnace beneath.
The youth staggered to his feet, lifted his
arms high over his head and cried in loudest
tones, "He-Akua-ia! He-Akua-ia! (It is a god!
It is a god!)"
The sorceress leaving him to his own further
meditations, with a parting Aloha, crept under
the thatched roof of her low hut and was seen
no more that night. Hookama stood in wrapt




A CHALLENGE TO PELE.


233


wonder and gazed at the sea of burning lava
and the fountains of fire at his feet.
"What then is a god?" he instinctively
asked himself, as a child would ask " Who is
God? " He recalled the salutation to him of
the old king of Hawaii, when he said, " You
are the son of a god." He thought of the salutation of the priestess of Pele, when he met
her after escaping from the crater. "' Son of
a god!' Is a god like me? I can fight, throw
a heavy spear, swim, kill a shark, climb a palibut I cannot set fire to the earth; I cannot
mount the cloud and throw fire sparks around
like handfuls of sand: 'Son of a god?' Then,
of what god? Perhaps of a greater god than
Pele,-or Lono, or Kane."
The youth, hardly conscious of his actions,
thrilled and excited by the grandeur and sublimity of the scene before him, intoxicated by
the vague possibility of kinship with higher
being, as low savages are sometimes conscious
of kinship with inferior animals, in a moment
of exaltation, pride, presumption (call it what
you will), assumed an attitude of command,
folded his arms, raised his muscular form to its
utmost height, and in loudest tones shouted
across the chasm from the cliff on which he
stood: " The son of a greater god than Pele
commands her fires to cease!"




234      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
This, the visionary young man repeated
thrice; each repetition in a louder tone; and
when the reverberations of his voice sank into
the clang and roar of the volcano, he stood still
and waited for the result. The fountains of
yellow and bloody fire continued to sparkle and
leap into the air. The lava stream still flowed
down the slope of the vast cone, and the blowholes shrilly whistled as before. There was a
slight earthquake, a trembling, a succession of
eruptions and new seams in the surface of the
larger crater, but no signs of important changes
in Pele's fiery manifestations.
The youth had not really believed in his
assumed prerogative as " a son of a god: " He
had been carried away in a fatuous mood of
bewildered feeling; and now that nothing followed his outburst of foolish assumption, and
as he began to shiver with cold, the koa-wood
brands hardly showing a spark of fire, his
dream vanished, his strange sensation passed
and a great loneliness came upon him, as if,
amid these awful sights and sounds, his absolute powerlessness was uppermost in his mind,
and his puny self was less than nothing.
The contrast of this state of feeling, with the
vanity and arrogance of his half involuntary
presumption, made him afraid that Pele herself, or some invisible power, might draw him




A CHALLENGE TO PELE.


235


into the fiery gulf and drown him in its waves.
He felt small, and timid, and almost guilty, as
he hurried into the hut where Lou was snoring loudly, and where he found, even in this
vulgar, human sound, a kind of sheltering and
reassuring companionship.
Lou had not heard his repeated commands
to Pele to stop her fireworks, and would have
considered it a good jest if he had heard them.
But the priestess in her hut heard them, and
muttered, " Pele will take care of the presumptuous youngster, whether he is the son of a
god or not." Then she closed her eyes, too
weary even to roll over on her mat to see
what would be the result.
The morning sun arose, a radiant disc from
the ocean, and the calm stillness of the air contrasted strangely with the din and turmoil of
the previous night. Hookama, after fitful
slumbers and uncanny dreams, crawled out of
the low entrance of the hut where he had
passed the night, and when he stood up to
survey the scene which had so thrilled and intoxicated him a few hours before, what was
his amazement to behold scarcely a thin thread
of yellow vapor rising from the smaller lake
with hardly a vestige of the flaming surface
and not a fountain or a jet of flame.
The immense crater enclosing the two




236     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


lakes of fire had sunk in the middle like the
collapse of a suddenly cooled crust, leaving a
black ledge, hundreds of feet below the dark
wall of circumference. The orifices had enlarged; fiery masses were still falling from the
sides, but the great central mound seemed to be
gradually subsiding. The red-hot lava hung
over the emptied lake-basins like crags dropping slow cataracts into the bottomless cavities
beneath.
But far towards the southeast a line of
yellowish vapor, mingled with dark puffs of
upward rolling smoke, carried Hookama's eye
towards the Bay of Hilo, and told the story of
a lava-stream, bursting from the side of the
mountain from subterranean conduits, and,
like a flaming, sluggish river of fire, licking up
all vegetation and even the loose earth, in its
passage to the sea. Hookama gazed in wondering awe. He was dumb before the astounding sight.
The changed appearance of the crater was
so complete and the dismal aspect of the
scene so depressing that the youth was more
bewildered than when he had looked the night
before into the fiery vortex of electric flame.
Not long, however, had he time to wonder
whether the scenes of yesterday were not a
creation of the fancy, and whether or not his




A CHALLENGE TO PELE.


237


present vision was a reality, for hearing steps
and turning around he found the prophetess,
prone on the earth at his feet in the attitude
of the Kulou; a custom which compelled
all persons, on penalty of death, to prostrate
themselves before a sacred chief, (aliikapu), to
whom almost divine honors were paid.
Pretty soon, out crawled Lou from his
cramped lodging, and seeing the priestess on
the ground, he too, involuntarily threw himself
down, his face in his hands and his hands in
the black lava-dust of the earth. No native
dared rise from this posture till the sacred alii
had passed along, or had commanded him to
get up. Then he must crawl backwards on
all fours and only when the alii's back was
turned, could he stand erect.
Hookama looked at the two grovelling
figures with a quizzical expression on his face,
and told them to get up, but as he did not use
the proper formula, neither stirred a muscle.
The youth seized Lou by the shoulders,
set him on his feet, told him to get the bundles
from the hut and come along. He then
turned to the prophetess, whose sprawling figure was fantastic enough, with great folds of
flesh hanging from her neck, and her brown,
wrinkled skin showing through the rents in
her ragged tapa mantle. He tried his best to




238     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


get a parting word from her, but she was so
seriously impressed by the power he had
shown in putting out the fires of the crater,
that she neither spoke nor moved till he was
out of sight.
Hookama, without looking back to see if
Lou was following him, walked rapidly along
the edge of the crater, wondering at the transition from a scene of conflagration to one of
black and smoking desolation. Taking a last
look down into the immense abyss, he turned
to the right and crossed the sulphur beds,
where from seams and cracks the fumes were
rising with a peculiar odor.
Holding his hand over one of these fissures,
the steam gave him such a pleasant sensation
that he took off his tapa mantle and his malo,
and crouching over the aperture, while he
shielded his face from the sulphurous jet, enjoyed the luxury, of which the gods, having
no corporeal frames, might well envy him the
delight. His joints became supple, his flesh
soft. The warm vapor took away all stiffness
and aches. He felt like a new being, endued
with fresh vitality, and when he had revelled
in the delectable refreshment to his heart's
content he lay down on the soft, greasy, impregnated earth and was half inclined to go
back and challenge Pele again to her face.




lidc-l 8
"Iri"e: r
d:ILL"'"- ::":"
~I:'""'
r~I i
C,9
"" D
w
      8:,LB
Ei;;a~-, L! a
ct
s:
4` ~
~i~




I




A CHALLENGE TO PELE.        239
The coming of Lou, however, put all supernatural affairs out of his mind, as the droll
little man informed him that before he left the
priestess, seeing that she was still prostrated
on the earth and apparently oblivious of all the
surroundings, he had slyly shot some mice and
laid them on the threshold of her hut,
"which will keep her out of it," said he, "a
day or two at least, till the birds come and
carry them off. If the old hag," he added, " gets
back to Hilo before we do, she will tell every
body what you did to Pele, and then we
shall see fine sport on our return."




CHAPTER XXIII.


KING KAHAHANA'S RETURN TO OAHU.
EARLY on the morning of the tornado
which landed Kelea on the island of Oahu,
Numuku, who had slept uneasily during the
latter part of the night, aroused himself,
stretched his big legs, and, with a grunt of
disgust, stood up and shook himself. A
savage has the advantage of being dressed as
soon as he gets upon his feet; he runs his
fingers through his hair, adjusts his moalo, possibly throws a tapa mantle over his shoulders
if it is cold, and is ready to meet the new day.
If a pool or stream is near at hand, he may
plunge into it before he eats hispoi, or in the
case of a chief, his attendants may groom him,
rubbing down his limbs and polishing him off
with oils, or the fat of hogs, the odor of
which announces his approach at a score of
yards.




KING KAHAHANA'S RETURN TO OAHU. 241


In the case of Numuku, his anxiety allowed
him no time for this elaborate toilet; he took
a draught of awa from a calabash, and with
sullen look, like a dog with a wicked eye, strode
out of the door to survey the scene. It was a
cheerless spectacle in spite of the clear sky and
the glorious sunrise. On every hand devastation, trees broken down, huts unroofed, fruits
scattered on the ground, while in the distance,
the sea, not yet quieted after the storm, was
white with foamy crests and tumultuous
waves. The havoc around him did not serve
to allay Numuku's irritable temper; he was in
a mood to wreak his vengeance for his losses
on anything that came in his way.
Pu' Aloha awoke, that morning, filled with
apprehension as to the fate of Hookama, and
when the bright dawn appeared she aroused
Menehune who had dropped off into sleep.
His jerky, disjointed sentences, in reply to her
hurried questions, did little to compose her
feelings. She gathered from his words, however, that there were no tidings from Hookama
and that possibly he might have been involved
in the casualties of the storm.
When then she saw the bulky form of the
chief striding towards the lookout on the bluff,
obeying her first impulse she ran towards the
place where he halted, her hair dishevelled




242    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


and her tapa twisted hastily about her; but
his agitated manner arrested her steps, and in
a flutter of misgiving she stood trembling at
some distance behind him. When he turned
towards her she drew near, although her
heart was beating as if it would burst. Numuku said nothing, but, every now and then,
the grunt that escaped his lips, a sound between
a growl and a snort, showed the state of his
mind very clearly and increased the discomfort
of the young girl.
She thought of turning back and getting
away from the surly chief, when, glancing
down the path leading towards the sea, her
eye caught the sight of two men carrying a
third on their shoulders, while a fourth followed at a short distance with some objects
in his hands. The chief had already seen the
approaching group and as they came nearer,
he went towards the opening of the enclosure,
sharply bidding Pu' Aloha to stay where she
was.
Her excitement now became intense. Was
it Hookama, borne by the two men? Was he
dead or only hurt? She could hardly control
her over-wrought impulse to disobey the chief
and rush after him. As Numuku went outside the enclosure to meet the little party,
which halted at a place in the path that con



KING KAHAIANA'S RETURN TO OAIIU. 243


cealed them from Pu' Aloha, she sank on the
ground, all her fortitude giving way, and
rocked herself to and fro, with cries and irrepressible wailings.
At last she saw the men pass the opening,
carrying their burden, and immediately Numuku entered the enclosure, followed by the
man who still held the things in his hands.
The pathetic sight of the disconsolate child
seemed to touch the rough savage, and speaking as kindly as he could, he told her that the
dead man was the inferior chief who had led a
party of men at the beach with orders to save,
if they could, any persons cast on the shore
during the terrific storm. There were ten
men in the company, and seven of the ten had
been drowned by the enormous waves, or so
badly bruised that their lives were despaired
of. 'All of them, except the chief in command,
lived down on the plains.
" But Hookama-?" cried the girl most piteously, and the chief, hardly able to repress a
scowl, answered, " Nothing at all of him, dead
or alive, except his canoe-and-and an idol and
a broken lance; this rascal, one of the survivors, has them here," and beckoning to the dilapidated native, the fellow came forward, bearing two pieces of a javelin and the " totem,"
which had been firmly lashed at the prow of




244     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


the canoe. The canoe itself had lost its outrigger, but being made of tough koa-wood, it
was washed ashore like a log and was found at
some distance inland from the beach.
Pu' Aloha hardly heard these details, her
whole thought being of Hookama; but when
the man told all he knew, hope died out of her
heart and a numbness crept over her as again
she dropped to the ground. Numuku lifted her
in his mighty grasp and telling the man to wait
till he came back, carried the fainting girl to
her house, where he laid her on the couch of
mats and summoned her wakines.
The old savage, as he came out of the grass
hut, muttering to himself, " She'll get over it,"
was somewhat less explosive than was his
wont, owing to the fact that Hookama had been
disposed of without giving him further trouble,
or subjecting him to the necessity of vindicating himself for causing his death. " The gods
are on my side," said the chief almost audibly
to himself. " I'll sacrifice the first captive
taken alive to Kane, and since the shark-god
has got the rascally I-ookama, he must get
along with that, without an offering from
me."
The grim smile that overspread his ugly
face as he muttered these words showed that
he was well satisfied to be rid so easily of the




KING KAHAHANA'S RETURN TO OAHU. 245


man he hated. In fact, so well pleased was he
with the result,/that he told the man who was
waiting for his commands, that, as it was the
will of the gods, he would inflict no penalty
upon the survivors of the party although they
had not delivered even the dead body of Hookama into his hands. "Beware, however," were
his stern words to the fellow, "beware how
you keep your lips; if you, or the other men,
ever utter a word about this night's business,
except to say you were on the beach as a lookout for wreckage, I'll get the flesh off your
bones, before a dog can bark twice." The
fierce look of the chief, as he gave the native
this friendly warning, was assurance enough
that the command would be obeyed. " Put
those things at my door and go away," was
the chief's final word, as he went over to a
banana patch, almost levelled to the ground,
to pick up a dozen of the luscious fruit for his
breakfast.
He had many other matters of greater weight
than the disposal of Hookama on his mind, or
even than the condition of Pu' Aloha, crushed
as she was by her forebodings of her lover's fate.
The chiefs, who were disaffected, had shown a
determined opposition to their young king
Kahahana, and even when informed that he
was on his way home, had openly avowed their
purpose to force him to resign the moiship.




246     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Loyal as he was to his king, it was all that
Numuku could do, by promises and threats to
induce the rebellious aliis to await the moi's
return before proceeding to violent measures.
The real reason why these insubordinate chiefs
did not act at once, was their doubt concerning the mood of the large body of warriors
that the young moi was bringing with him
from Maui. They could not tell whether that
army would side with the king or with them,
in case of an appeal to arms.
Late in the afternoon, Numuku received
news that Kahahana and his war-canoes had
fortunately put in at Kalaupapa, on the northern coast of Molokai, and so had escaped the
tidal wave which rolled in from the south. A
few of the canoes had been damaged and
needed refitting, but the moi expected to arrive at Waikiki the following day.
It was the afternoon of the second day after
the storm that the watchers on Leahi,
(Diamond Head) gave the signal that the fleet
of Oahu was in sight, and immediately crowds
thronged the beach at Waikiki, or climbed the
heights to get a view of the war-canoes and
their brave warriors. Among the crowds were
women anxiously awaiting news of their husbands and sons, many of whom had been
slain in the battle of Wailuku, and no one




KING KAHAHANA'S RETURN TO OAHU. 247


knew at Oahu who would return alive, or be
brought back dead in the canoes covered with
black tapa.
But the prevailing feeling was one of joy,
and great preparations were made to give the
fleet a triumphal welcome. All tabus, except
those that could not be removed, including
those respecting the women, were declared off
for the day. Great heaps of drift wood were
ready to burn. Large quantities of fish, fruit
andpoi were spread out on the plain for a
feast. The ovens of hot stones contained
hogs and dogs to make the feast more appetizing, and all the women were decked with
brilliant flowers. The musicians with guitars,
nose-flutes and drums of various sorts, were
stationed at intervals, and hula girls, decorated
with wreaths, dog-tooth buskins and ornamented skirts, were dancing in large companies, in anticipation of the arrival.
It was a gallant sight, when over the sea, now
tranquil and glassy in the clear shining of the
sun, came the hundreds of war-canoes,-the
royal double canoe leading the van; in it, a
double row of two score stout warriors paddling with all their strength, and followed by
the rest of the fleet, with sails set to catch the
light breeze and streamers of all colors floating
from the masts.




248     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Sorry-looking savages perhaps, at close
range, but as they moved to the rhythm of
their war-songs, every paddle keeping time, it
was an array of which any chief might be
proud and in which the natives on shore took
great delight. The young moi, Kahahana,
stood in the stern of his red double canoe,
decked in his yellow mantle and helmet, with
all the insignia of his rank, while grouped
around him sat the high chiefs, erect and lifting up their spears.
But the king, as he surveyed the crowd on
the beach and saw the chiefs gathered into
groups, the largest group apart from the rest,
could hardly be said to be proud and happy,
for he knew not whether his reception would
be cordial or hostile. He was brave in battle
but weak in authority. Would his return bring
civil war, or a settlement of difficulties? His
breast was torn with conflicting emotions; but
seeing, in the midst of one large body of
chiefs, his faithful and beloved wife, all other
feelings gave way to the joy of once more clasping his Kekuapoiula to his heart.
He looked therefore every inch a king as his
war-canoe swept through the inlet on a high
roller, and gracefully breasted the surf towards
the spot where at least some faithful adherents
waited to give him welcome. The people,




KING KAHAIIANA'S RETURN TO OAHU. 249


carried away by enthusiasm and excitement,
set up a mighty shout, while the musicians
sounded their drums and all their other inharmonious instruments, so that for the moment
the moi's breast swelled with exultation, and
apprehension fled away.
Soon all the war-canoes were beached, men
and women swarming into the breakers to
draw them ashore, and the scene was lively
enough to satisfy the most ardent lover of
noise and hubbub; warriors embraced each
other, the women waiting for their turn to
show their loyalty to their one or more husbands as the case might be. If some of the
low caste warriors fell to boxing and slugging
one another, it was only their way of manifesting exceptional delight.
Half a dozen canoes covered with black tapa
were surrounded by a mourning company,
wailing and tearing their scanty clothing.
But these scenes on the beach were only preliminary to more extravagant performances.
Who can describe the feast, which to these
pagans was the consummation of their earthly
joys? The women danced and frolicked and
the men ate and drank awa till many were
ready for the saturnalia which ended the
feast. Girls, decorated with flowers, strolled
from one group of warriors to another, laughing with the men.




250    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


One party coming to a squad of returning
braves, became loudly convivial.
" Say, Maili," cried one of the wahines, " did
you find any pretty girls on Maui? "
"Find any? " replied the good-looking youth,
"Aole, aole! They found us. One of them
came down to the royal canoe which I was
guarding the day we left. A splendid girl.
She wanted some poi and ordered us away
with the air of a queen. But she paid us well."
The fellow fumbled in his girdle and brought
out a beautiful shell, which he handed to the
girl, saying: "There, Kamili, how do you like
it. She said our sweethearts at home would
be glad to get them."
"Oh," replied the girl, " that's nothing! a
woman gave me one like it yesterday in Manoa
valley, for showing her a path," and she took
both shells in her hand to compare them.
The youth sprang to his feet and insisted that
his shell was the handsomest, at the same
time putting his arm around the neck of the
wahine to get a nearer view and to steady
himself. The girl threw off his arm with an
affectation of anger.
"Then that woman is somewhere on this
island," shouted the tipsy warrior. "I'll find
her. Where did you see her?"
"No matter where," replied  the wahine.




KING KAHAHANA'S RETURN TO OAHU. 251


" She is a chief's daughter, I'll swear, and you'd
better not meddle with girls of an alii, Maili."
"I will, all the same," said Maili as he
tumbled on the ground and the wa/zine put
both the shells away in the folds of her girdle.
When the sun was setting, hundreds of
warriors lay on the ground in a stupid sleep,
while others staggered along, followed by the
women, to take a dip in the sea. Then folk
lowed a briny saturnalia neither picturesque
nor passable; a little later lighted heaps of
driftwood shed a glare on the revellers on the
beach and in the surf. All that is odious in
savage life was let loose, and as the moon begrudged her silvery countenance and did not
illuminate the scene, it may be as well for us
to throw as little light as possible upon it.
The only one among the frantic crowds,
whose interest in the occasion was innocent
and creditable to himself, was Menehune, the
dwarf-giant. He had seen the bonfires and,
led by curiosity and a vague hope that Hookama might somehow appear, came down to the
shore.
The fires burned low, driftwood being scarce,
so that Menehune was not noticed as he
squatted in his usual grotesque posture at the
water's edge. The predominant eccentricities
of the occasion were lost upon him, but he




252     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


was fascinated by the beating of the drums
and the songs of the bathers in the waves.
He watched one couple, a man and a woman,
who had drawn apart from the groups and
were disporting in the billows by themselves.
The fancy took him to join the revels of
this particular pair as they were leaping, tumbling and laughing in the breakers. The
dwarf hopped out as a frog jumps, till the
shallow waves were passed. Along the line of
the breaking surf, parallel with the shore, he
reached the two bathers, before whom he suddenly appeared in preposterous ugliness,
stretching out his arms, gaunt and monstrous
in the gloom, while he uttered the most fearful noises, jumping up and down in the midst
of the foam.
The improvisation was a success. Tumbling, running, screaming, the man and the
woman scrambled for the shore, falling headlong, rising to be caught by a high wave and
again overset; with Menehune rolling like
a wheel behind them, his long arms and legs
making admirable spokes. Now he comes upon them as they sprawl in the water; he puts
the woman on her feet, much to her surprise;
then sets her a-going again; he trips up the
man and leaves him behind; then jumping like
a leap frog he takes the woman's shoulders for a




KAIG KAZAHANA'S RETURN TO OAHU. 253


leverage and vaults over her head. Acrowd,
attracted by her screams, follows the capering
dwarf. He leaves the woman to find her mate
if she can and dives into the midst of the
ranks of his new followers. Down they go as
he tosses them over his shoulder or swings one
after another far out towards the surf.
The dazed medley of men and women scatter
in every direction. The dwarf runs for one,
then for another. There are continuous shrieks
from the women and shouts from the men.
Were it not for the darkness and the noise of
the breakers, the whole multitude would have
assembled and the dwarf's fate have been
problematical to this day. As it was, leaping
and waving hands, jumping backward as the
monster approached, the crowd left the field
to him and reported all along the shore that
the god of the sea had joined their revels and
disappeared, carrying off a damsel for his bride.
This was the second enrollment of the
dwarf-giant among the gods; and with a little
more wit in his brain, coupled with his native
drollery, Menehune would have stood a good
chance of an apotheosis.
As for the damsel, the dwarf made a dive
for her through a roller and came up grinning, much to her astonishment and fear.
However, having no inclination to trouble her




254      KCELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
any more, he fled in one direction and she in
another, as fast as the waves and the slippery
sand would allow.
The bonfires on the beach were dying out
and the dwarf, highly pleased with the general
effect of his evening's entertainment, crept
along a ridge of sand and escaped in very human
and humble fashion; an eclipse of deity, with
which, strange to say, the deity himself was
more satisfied than if his fellow pagans had
caught and worshipped him.




CHAPTER XXIV.


THE SONG-BIRD UNDER A CALABASH.
WHEN Kahahana, the young king of Oahu,
retired from the feast of welcome, he summoned
Numuku and other loyal chiefs to the royal
house, to consider the situation. It was a grave
question whether to attack the insubordinate
chiefs with the army, on which the king believed he could rely, or to temporize and
wait for a change in the sentiments of the rebels.
Finally it was decided to call an assembly
of the disloyal aliis and try to win them over.
The assembly was held the next day and Numuku presided. The kingprudently remained
away. Numuku's efforts at reconciliation were
seconded by some of the older chiefs among
the insurgents, but quite a large number of the
younger aliis went home, to wait for an opportunity to renew their hostility.




256


2 KELEA: rTIE SURF-RIDER.


Kahahana received the result of the conclave
rather as a reprieve than a victory. He knew
that the end was not yet, and as a precaution
sent a trusty messenger to the king of Maui,
asking for a reinforcement of warriors. It was
a foolish thing to do, as it revealed his weakness to the king of Maui, and gave his own
subjects a chance to accuse him of partiality
towards their dreaded enemy Kahekili, the
treacherous Maui moi.
The old chief Numuku, having these weighty
matters of state off his mind for a time, had
leisure to turn his thoughts again towards Pu'
Aloha, and, though his affair with her was only
an episode, he was not a person to be balked
even in matters of small importance.
Kahahana had informed him that Hookama
was alive and that he had sent him to Hawaii
on a secret errand to the king of that island.
The mystery of the canoe which had been cast
ashore was partially explained by the king,
who said it had been unaccountably detached
from his own war-canoe on the voyage home,
and had probably drifted in the current until
caught by the tempest off Oahu. The fact
that the sail was hoisted and that the watchers
reported some one in the canoe just before the
storm, left the matter somewhat in doubt, but
so far as Hookama was concerned, it did not
affect the case.




THE SONG-BIRD UNDER A CALABASH. 257


Numuku decided not to let Pu' Aloha know
that Hookama was alive, but to act towards
her as if her lover" were drowned; and since
Hookarma would be coming back in a few
weeks at the most, he meant to press the girl
to marry him at once. Then on Hookama's
arrival, he would see what could be done.
Pu' Aloha was inconsolable over her loss.
Day and night, clothed in black tapa, she sat
in her house, rocking to and fro, with wailings
and sobs.  Sometimes she sang a plaintive
chant to give vent to her emotions.
"Eia ka uhuki hulu manu,
Kau iua o Haili,
Na keiki kiai pua,
Ka lahui iua o lalo."
"He is the picker of bird feathers,
(Of birds) lighting on the flowers of Haili;
The young ones watching the flowers.
The multitude of flowers below."
But the refrain of every song was the requiem
of love and grief, which Ua sang when the
lover of Kaala, the Flower of Lanai, plunged
into the whirlpool of the Spouting Cave to
clasp the misty form of his bride. She changed
a few words only, and the pathos of the song
quieted her spirit as she coupled her own
name with that of her lover.




258      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
"Oh I dead is Hookama, the young chief of Oahu;
The chief of few years and many battles!
His limbs were strong and his heart was gentle;
His face was like the sun and he was without fear.
*   *   *   *
Hookama is dead and the black tapa is over my heart.
Now let the gods take the life of Pu' Aloha! "
The presence of Menehune at her door was
a comfort to the stricken girl, and he was to
her a protector, like the giant Maukaleoleo
who watched over Umi, the peasant prince of
Hawaii, whose story she had often heard from
Hookama's lips. The dwarf heard the pathetic voice of his mistress as she sang her
mournful chants. Now and then he mysteriously disappeared, but always came back at
nightfall and no night was he absent from his
post.
Numuku let the poor girl take her own way
for a few days, thinking she would soon rally.
He gave special orders to her wahines to care
for her comfort and sent fruits to her which
she left untasted. As a particular mark of
attention, which showed considerable tact on
the part of the old chief, he sent to her house
the " totem" and the broken javelin, which
had belonged to Hookama.
Several days having passed and no change
in her being apparent, the chief went to see
her and was struck by her altered looks; her




THE SONG-BIRD UNDER A CALABASH. 259


eyes lacked their wonted brilliancy and her
countenance was pale. As she sat in a drooping attitude she was the picture of despair.
The sight of the girl in this condition
angered Numuku. He felt that it was her
own fault that her beauty and vivacity were
gone. Why should she mope for the birdcatcher? It was opposition to his authority;
a kind of antagonism to his wishes. Hating
Hookama as the author of this state of things,
he visited on the child the wrath which he
could not inflict on her lover.
She had no idea why he frowned upon her
as he stood looming up in her presence. Was
it not right to mourn for a dead friend? Did
not the chiefs disfigure themselves (she had
heard of such things) at the death of relatives?
When then Numuku blurted out his indignation in the bitter words, " Isn't it time to
stop this dreaming and moaning, Pu' Aloha?
You can't gather berries from the clouds!
What the gods will, must be submitted to! "
Pu' Aloha was struck dumb; she could not
answer; it was all so unexpected. Was this the
Numuku that promised to be a father to her?
But she soon looked up with pleading eyes
and the chief, touched perhaps by her silent
misery, conscious also that he was deceiving
her in regard to Hookama's death, softened




260      KELEA: iPh SURF-RIDER.


his tone a little and touching her shoulder,
said, "You need not be unhappy here with
me. Is it an eclipse of the sun when a single
star goes out? "
"Alas!" replied the girl in a low voice,
"can the bird sing when covered by a calabash?" Numuku remembered that these
were the very words which Hina of Hawaii
spoke to Kaupeepee of Haupu, when he stole
her away to make her his bride, and kept her
a prisoner, till she forgot her bondage and
accepted his love which gently wooed her
thoughts from the past. Pu' Aloha herself
had sung to him this mele.
The remembrance of that love story of long
ago awakened the chief to a new strategy, and
he began to say tender things to Pu' Aloha;
that is, as tender as his uncouth utterance
could frame. He asked her what he could do
for her. Could he bring Hookama to life?
Could he dry up the sea and find his body
forher to fondle? Could he get her another
Hookama that she would like as well as she
liked this bird-catcher? "  No! "he concluded,
"these things belong to the gods. I am not
a god, but I can marry you myself, as I promised, and keep you from harm. Besides, you
may select another husband if you will, and
we will dwell together in peace."




THE SONG-BIRD UNDER A CALABASH. 261


These words had the opposite effect from
that which the deceitful old chief intended to
produce. Pu' Aloha burst into a passionate fit
of crying and clasping her knees rocked herself in uncontrollable distress. To marry
Numuku, with Hookama dead, was utter
misery; she was fast losing control of herself;
but what she might have said was prevented
by Numuku himself as he abruptly left the
house, muttering that the girl was a fool and
might go to AMilu for all that he cared!
Menehune, hidden in a clump of bushes,
heard the word "fool," (he had a knack of
getting ideas from separate words,) and he
knew there was trouble. Creeping back to
Pu' Aloha's door, he looked in for the first
time since the girl had secluded herself, and
seeing her prostrate, lifted her tenderly on the
mats and, calling her wahines, went out
beyond the enclosure, with a vague sense
of the need of doing something for his
mistress.
No sooner had he passed the opening
towards the ravine, than he saw the figure of a
man, hurriedly moving up the highway. The
man turned as if to see if he was followed, and
Menehune knew that it was Paao. The
dwarf had taken an intense dislike to this
man. Why, he could not tell. It was an in



262    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


stinct, such as makes a dog cherish antipathy
to a person for no obvious cause.
Believing that some mischief was brewing
he kept himself out of sight, while he kept
Paao in view. After a long time he saw
Paao strike off the main path, into a foot-way
leading in the direction of the house on the
cliff where he had left Kelea. It was a path
seldom travelled, and with increased misgiving
Menehune followed on till within a few rods
of a lonely spot where another path from
Manoa valley crossed that on which Paao was
going.
Much to the dwarf's amazement, he saw a
second traveller, who had come up by the
path from Manoa, and who was entering into
a violent altercation with Paao. It seems that
both men were about to ascend the same
path, when Paao, in a rude way, asked the
stranger, a strong and active young man,
where he was going. The stranger replied, in
equally rough language, that it was none of
his business. Whereupon Paao struck at the
man with a heavy stick which he carried.
Quick as a flash, the stranger wrenched the
stick away, and whirling it in the air, bade
Paao stand off or take the consequences.
Drawing a dagger, Paao made a lunge at the
stranger, who, too quick for him, sprang aside




THE SONG-BIRD UNDER A CALABASH. 263


and brought the stick with great force down
on Paao's arm.
The arm dropped and the dagger fell to
the ground. At this instant, Mehehune
rushed straight at the combatants and thrust
his mighty limbs between them. It was an
easy thing for him to hurl the stranger, stick
and all, into a low bush at the wayside.
Having done this the dwarf turned to Paao
and took hold of his arm, which was badly
bruised but not broken.
The other fellow, who had made aquaintance with the scrub plant in the unceremonious fashion described, picked himself up and
laughed heartily as the big dwarf bent over
the crestfallen Paao. It was the warrior Maili
of the king's war-canoe, who had given the
shell to the girl on the beach. He had coaxed
the girl to tell him where she met the mysterious woman, and out of curiosity, having a
little leisure on his hands, he had come in
search of her.  He knew Menehune and regarded the whole affair as a joke.
Paao, on the contrary, aside from the serious injury he had received, was angry because
Menehune had followed him, and, overlooking
the fact that the dwarf had prevented his
antagonist from following up his advantage,
began to berate his deliverer in words which




264    KELEA THE SURF-RIDER.


would have been highly profane if uttered in
any civilized language. Seeing that the quarrel was over and that Paao resented any
further assistance from him, Menehune coolly
walked a dozen paces up the path and squatted
in the middle of it, as much as to say " No
trespassing allowed."
There was a moment's silence; Paao glared
at the two co-operators in the offence to his dignity and person; then with a look of scornful
anger, turned and walked rapidly down the
path by which he had come, nursing his battered arm. Maili kept the stick and made a
movement to pass the dwarf and ascend still
further beyond him, along the path. Menehune allowed him to come abreast on one
side and then by an adroit shifting of his leg,
laid the fellow sprawling on the ground, at the
same time snatching the stick from his hand.
This was too much for the warrior's goodnature and, resenting this second interference,
he jumped at the dwarf, who coolly enclosed
him in his big arms, placed him in his lap and
began to fondle him as a wva/ine caresses a
puppy. It was of no use to resist, and, as
there were no spectators, Maili made the best
of the situation and began to imitate the bark
of a young dog. This tickled the fancy of the
dwarf so much that he set the man on his feet




THE SONG-BIRD UNDER A CALABASH. 265


and with a grim smile, pointed down the way
that led to the Manoa valley and grunted out
the word "Makai" (to the sea); the man,
taking the hint, vanished instantly without
even a parting oath.
Menehune then stood up and waited till the
sound of retreating footsteps ceased. His eye
fell upon something white, in the grass at the
side of the path where Paao received the stroke
from the stick. It was the shark's tooth dagger, and as the dwarf picked it up, he gave one
of his customary chuckles and put it safely
away in the folds of his nalo.
The path from this crossing of the ways
was an intricate one. Almost impenetrable by
others, it was familiar to Menehune, who before long emerged on the plateau in front of
the house on the cliff. There he found Kelea,
beating out moist fibre for a tapa cloth. He
was evidently a regular and welcome visitor
and his advent was not a surprise. Taking his
mother aside he told her that the girl must
keep near the house, because her presence on
the island was probably known to at least two
men, who he supposed had come in search of
her that very day.
Then handing to the astonished Kelea the
dagger, the dwarf, as if in great haste, disappeared around the angle of the ledge.




266      KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
The dagger was like a mysterious gift from the
gods. How it came into Menehune's possession, or why he gave it to her she could not tell,
but she placed it in her girdle, and felt as if
somehow it was a recovered link between her
fortunes and those of Hookama.




CHAPTER XXV.


A CRISIS.
TOWARDS nightfall, Menehune was squatting
as usual at the door of Pu' Aloha's house, as
unmoved in appearance and as grotesque in
attitude as if his only occupation was to orna.
ment the premises of his royal mistress.
Within a day or two, Paao had an interview
with the chief. He represented to Numuku
the need of keeping an eye on the dwarf, who,
after that time, was strictly forbidden to leave
the enclosure without permission. He also
arranged with the chief that he should pay
court to Pu' Aloha and win her for them both
if he could. The chief gave him permission to
make advances to her with that purpose in
view.
Numuku rallied Paao on his arm, which was
bound up, and the young man said that it was




268      KEELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


the result of a fall, when he was climbing a
cliff. It was not a serious injury, but for a time
it crippled the arm and rendered it useless for
handling a spear or a club.
From this time, Paao's attentions to the
sorrowful maiden amounted to little less than
persecution. He intruded upon her whenever
Menehune was absent from his post. He tried
all his powers of persuasion and made the girl
as wretched by his amorous advances as by
the threats which he finally employed to bend
her to his will. Finding her obdurate, he persuaded Numuku to see her, if possible to induce her to comply with their united demands.
The old savage arrayed himself in the most
approved Hawaiian fashion for the interview.
His feather cloak represented the labors of one
hundred men for ayear. Its airy magnificence
was dazzling to behold. The malo about his
loins was gaudy and fringed with red. On his
breast was the palaoa, the mark of his rank,
suspended from his neck by twisted strands
of human hair. In his hand was a necklace of
curiously wrought mother-of-pearl. When he
entered her house he planted the tabu spear before the door. In such splendor was he arrayed that he felt assured of success. How
could any Hawaiian woman hold out, in presence of these irresistible attractions, to say




A CRISIS.


269


nothing of the odor of the cocoa-nut oil with
which he was anointed!
Pu' Aloha was seated on the ground, covered
with black tapa, her eyes lustreless and her
face pallid; there was little beauty, either in
her countenance or form, to charm the savage
heart. The drooping eyelids and the sombre
clothing gave the chief a start; he was in
doubt whether he cared to press his suit. He
had overstimated the value of the prize.
But of one thing he felt assured; a girl with
no more to offer certainly must yield to one
like himself who could give her everything a
woman's heart desires. Besides, he had begun
the affair and he meant to win, whether he
cared much for the girl or not.
He seated himself on the pile of mats and
looked about him in evident embarrassment.
Pu' Aloha had risen, as was the custom, when
her lord entered and she now stood near him
with her hands crossed over her bosom. She
said nothing except to give the usual salutation, "A loa! " (Love to you), which meant
more or less according to circumstances.
Numuku held out the necklace, and she took
it, thanking him and laying it down on the
couch. " I have come," at last said the chief,
" to claim my rights as your Alii. I made a
promise to you which I intend to keep." Pu'




270     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Aloha's cheek flushed but she returned no responsive look or word; neither could the chief
give utterance to any of the soft speeches he
had prepared for the occasion. He was completely stranded so far as any inspiration for
love-making was concerned. It was a very
awkward situation for him.
After some moments of oppressive silence,
he began a sentence, "The-the choicest
flower —the flower of my choice-Pu' Aloha is
the-all the flowers in —in the garland —" and
there he stopped, actually run aground and
unable to go on.
Again he started, as he had sometimes tried
to get his canoe off a rock, where it went round
and round the more he paddled. " Why those
[a grunt]-those tears, Pu' Aloha? The sunshowers-shower-tears [another grunt] of the
-tears of the winds-are-are-Ia —K&," (he
was getting angry); " By Kane! will you have
me, child, or not?" He was getting down to
the familiar vernacular once more; " It may be
only a hoao (trial to test the feelings) at first.
Come, come, answer me, or I'll see who is
master," and the ugly face of the chief assumed
its most diabolical expression. Numuku was
himself once more.
It only needed this return of the royal
wooer to a threatening attitude for Pu' Aloha




A CRISIS.


271


to gain all her courage and firmness. The
" totem" of Hookama stood upright against
the thatch and caught the girl's eye as she
regained her strength and composure. Dropping on her knees before the image, in a
strong, unwavering voice she uttered the
following prayer:"Here is your body of a bird, 0 Lono!
May I be saved by you, 0 Lono, my god!
Saved by the supporting prayer!
Saved by the holy water!
Saved by the sacrifice to you, O god.
Here is the sacrifice, an offering of prayer."
Numuku fidgetted about on the mats as the
prayer begun; he was too superstitious to
interrupt an appeal to the greatest of the
gods. When the supplication was ended and
the suppliant arose to her feet and stood,
with a look of serene composure on her
face, as if defying him to harm a votary of the
all-powerful deity, the chief also arose to his
feet and said hastily: " I'll see the priest about
this; you will marry me to-morrow, and Lono
will accept the sacrifice." Then, with heavy
tread he left the hut.
That night no moon looked down on the enclosure of the chief, and the clouds were piling
up above the hills. It was near midnight when




272    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Menehune felt a slight touch on his shoulder,
as he slept at the door of the house of Pu'
Aloha. Clad wholly in black, with a bundle
covered with black tapa in her hand, the girl
drew the dwarf inside the door, placed the
"totem" in his hands, uttered the words
"Hele " (go); "Jl auka" (the mountain), and
showed him where her hands had cut away the
fastenings at the back of the hut.
The faithful dwarf needed no further explanation. He crawled through the aperture, and
led the way, on all fours, the girl creeping after
him, to a gap in the hedge. She crouched
under the broad leaves, heedless of the sharp
points which punctured her soft shoulders,
while Menehune reconnoitered. On his return, she took his big hand and was led
down into the ravine, where the plashing brook
smothered the sound of their footsteps. Picking their way along the shallow stream and by
the smooth jutting rocks, the two fugitives
came out at the foot of a steep hillside; a dog,
in a hut near the bank of the stream, barked
loudly; they thought they heard a noise of
hurrying feet behind them and held their breath
to listen. The mists came down from the hilltops and enveloped them. Pu' Aloha heard
what seemed to her a burst of laughter; it was
the hoot of an owl. They passed through a




A  CRISIS.


273


collection of huts; the darkness of a cloudy
night settled on the valley; all along the way
the girl's fancy conjured up spectres of monstrous shapes from the trees and skirts of the
wood, along which they toiled. Never before
had she groped among the ghostly forms of
night. Had it not been for the strong grasp
of Menehune's hand, her courage and strength
must soon have failed.
When a path was reached, the dwarf lifted
the girl in his arms, carried her easily, and
moving steadily through the mists, climbed
with his burden the way he knew so well, till
the house on the cliff was reached. It was his
shrine. To defend it was his passion. To
make it the refuge and sanctuary of those he
cared for, was his one object in life. The
dwarf had a big heart, if there was but little
room for it in his body, and his soul was as
true as his face was homely.
A quiet signal and the ever-watchful mother
came to the door. Menehune said to her,
" Here, another foster child," and disappeared
in the darkness.
At bright daydawn Pu' Aloha's wahines,
coming to awaken and bathe their mistress,
found the dwarf-giant alert and watching as
usual at her door.




CHAPTER XXVI.


THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF.
KELEA was aroused, the morning after Pu'
Aloha's arrival at the house on the cliff, by
the touch of the gentle old woman whom she
had learned to love and to call " mother."
She was told that during the night Menehune
had brought a strange girl to the house.
"She is a delicate flower," said the "mother,"
"and Menehune tells me that she is much
pilikia loa (distressed). Will you come and
look at her? "
Then the sympathetic old soul led the way,
with Kelea following, to the mats hidden by a
tapa screen, where Pu' Aloha was lying asleep.
Her fair, round arm supported her head, and
her flowing locks rippled over her glossy
brown shoulders, while the long lashes, veiling
her eyes, gave an inexpressible charm, heightened by the tears which hung beneath them,




THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF.


275


like dew-drops on the petals of a yellow halapepe flower. The tinge of lemon color in the
brown of her complexion gave the skin the tint
of a foreigner, and added a peculiar brilliancy
to its transparent beauty.
Now and then, the sleeper gave a nervous
start and her tapering fingers twitched with
convulsive movement. The black tapa mantle
she had worn was flung, half on the couch and
half on the ground, an emblem of the woes
through which she had passed.
Kelea was deeply stirred as she gazed on
the sweet maiden. The surf-rider of Maui,
with all her audacity and caprice, was a creature of affectionate as well as passionate impulses. The stranger appealed to her best
instincts and she longed to befriend her, to
hold her to her breast and comfort her.
It was a striking tableau: the delicate girl
asleep, fair as a flower, inviting soothing and
caressing care; the dark maiden, bending
over her, strong, intense, with her raven locks
floating loosely over her shoulders and swelling bosom. Her eager face and well-balanced
pose showed that her susceptibilities were
under control, while the unconscious movement of her lips and the moisture in her eyes
revealed a deep sympathy for the distress
which she could not at once alleviate.




276    KELEA: THE SURFRIDER.


In the background, the wrinkled, sightless
" mother " stood motionless, evidently feeling
the pathos of the scene. It was she who
broke the silence by a whispered word to
Kelea, and the two women left the side of the
sleeper, as one would leave a flower with
folded petals, not wishing to disturb it till
the sunshine caused it to unfold.
Pu' Aloha slept nearly all that day. Occasionally, she partially aroused herself to receive
a cooling draught, brought to her by the blind
" mother." The tapa curtain kept the sunlight
from her eyes and the two women walked
softly that their footfalls might not awaken
her. It was a day of mingled emotions for
Kelea. She had no idea who the newcomer
was, but a strange fascination led her to go
quietly from time to time and look at the
beautiful girl.
As Pu' Aloha grew stronger and received
the kind ministrations of Kelea, the two girls
drew together in close friendship. This was
the first friend Kelea ever had, with whom she
was frank and affectionate. She became devoted to the lovely maiden and was as tender
toward her as a lover. It was a new revelation to her of a responsive, artless, clinging
disposition, exactly the opposite of her own.
Adroit questions on her part drew from Pu'




THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF.


277


Aloha the simple story of her life and even her
relations with Hookama. Under other circumstances, the highstrung girl would have broken
out into vehement words. But, as in the case
of Hookama's refusal of her pleading love in
the Iao Valley, her pride enabled her to repress all evidences of excitement and her love
for Pu' Aloha kept her within bounds.
Only when alone, in a secluded spot further
up the hill, to which she went in order to give
vent to the tumult of her soul, did she find
relief in tears and exclamations. Had her
rival been a less lovable being, or had she failed
to win Kelea's love, the jealousy of the savage
would have overmastered all other feeling.
Even the death of her rival at her hands might
have been sought, if thereby she could remove
the obstacle to her desires.
But Kelea's infatuation for Hookama did
not obliterate her fondness for the girl, who
nestled to her for protection and who guilelessly confided to her the feelings of her heart.
Pu' Aloha believed that Hookama was
drowned by the tidal wave. Sometimes that
thought was overwhelming, and the poor
child wept for hours, giving way to uncontrollable sorrow. Then Keleawould hold her in
her arms, without saying a word.
In her own mind Kelea revolved the whole




278     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


matter, trying to think of some way by which
both she and her dear friend might be satisfied.
She thought of the possibility, allowed by
custom, of a double marital connection! But
this would be of little comfort to her, if Hookama gave all his love to her rival. Could she
bear to see him in the arms of another and
lavishing on her the fervid affection which
she demanded for herself?
There was one hope: that Hookama might
not reciprocate Pu' Aloha's strong passion.
" But how can he help loving such a sweet
flower," she said to herself over and over again.
He had said, in the vale of Iao, that there was
no other; had he deceived her, to prevent a
frantic scene on her part? Her mind was perplexed. She was sometimes plunged in despair. Must she lose everything for which she
had imperilled her life and doomed herself to
exile?
Hookama had told her frankly that the gods
willed otherwise; that he did not love her;
but at that time, she felt that she could, in
some way, win his heart. Now, the appearance of another, charming enough to win the
love of the noblest chief, changed the aspect
of the case, leaving Kelea almost crushed in
spirit.
Kelea believed that Hookama was still alive.




THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF.


279


She knew, what Pu' Aloha did not know, that
he had not been drowned, for she herself had
been in his canoe. Where he was, she could
not tell. Had he returned with the king? If
so, why did he not come in search of Pu' Aloha?
This was a thread on which to hang her hopes.
Perhaps he did not care after all for the lovely
child.
Then the question came, should she impart
to Pu' Aloha her own belief that Hookama
was living and would come back sooner or
later? Was it not the part of friendship to
offer this small degree of consolation. The
picture of the dear girl's distress was vividly
before her, as she decided to comfort her, if
she could, in every possible way.
She found Pu' Aloha in tears; the girl had
been in one of her paroxysms of grief. As
Kelea approached, the maiden flung her arms
about her and said: "At least, loving one!
the wilted flower has the strong tree to cling
to; what would Pu' Aloha do, with Hookama
gone, if she could not rest on her kuu poli
aloha [a Hawaiian term which means more
than a mere relative] even though no one
can take a lover's place?"
" My own darling," replied Kelea, with emotion, as she folded the weeping girl to her
bosom, "perhaps your Hookama will come




280    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


again to you." (She used these words with
the greatest effort.) " How do you know that
he has joined the brave warriors in the hidden
land of Kane? Does the bee, that has once
sipped honey from the choicest flower, stray
away among common weeds and not come
back? Your wild bee will surely long for his
Pu' Aloha and thirst for the nectar on his
blossom's lips."
"But the canoe was Hookama's, and Numuku said the idol was lashed in the prow of
it," quickly exclaimed the excited girl. " If
his canoe was washed up by the storm, he
must have been drowned,-Menehune said so,
-and his body lost," and the child sobbed on
the breast of her friend, whose heart might
have told its own secret by its rapid throbbing,
if Pu' Aloha had suspected any reason for its
unusual palpitation.
Kelea endeavored by her caresses to calm
the maiden whom she held in her arms, and
when Pu' Aloha became somewhat tranquil
she told her the story of her flight from Maui,
and, with some omissions and occasional divergencies from the truth, explained to her the
reason why she thought Hookama might still
be alive and come back to her safe and sound.
Telling her first about her own home at
Waihee on Maui, she narrated the story of




THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF.


281


the battle of Wailuku and the attempt of the
terrible moi Kahekili to carry her to his halealii. This attempt, she declared, led her to
resolve to flee from the island over which he
held absolute and tyrannical authority. Fortunately, she discovered that the king of Oahu
intended to sail homeward and that an empty
canoe would be towed behind his war-canoe.
Then she gave a vivid description of her
efforts to cut the cord and her final success.
She related other details of her voyage, its
perils and adventures, at which Pu' Aloha
shuddered while she admired the pluck of her
new-found friend. Kelea concluded the exciting tale with an account of her experience
with Menehune in the cave and her unique
ride on his broad shoulders to the House on
the Cliff. The latter portion of the story
amused Pu' Aloha so much that she laughed
aloud, the first time since her arrival at the
"mother's" house.
It will be noticed that Kelea said nothing
about her meetings with Hookama and Paao,
but made the story so plausible that her unsuspecting listener did not even surmise that
Kelea's use of the canoe had anything to do
with  Hookama. She asked   one question.
" How did it happen that the king was bringing the canoe back with him to Oahu?




282     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Hookama meant to go in it to Hawaii, why
should he send it back from Maui? "
Kelea's ready answer was that probably the
war between the kings of Maui and Hawaii
made the continuance of Hookama's voyage
to Hawaii too hazardous. In that case he
may have returned to Oahu with the king.
"If so, you will see him before long," she
added with a brave attempt to smile.
Pu' Aloha was somewhat brightened up by
the comforting words of her friend and began
to grow stronger and more cheerful. As her
vigor returned her beauty increased, and the
bloom of her cheeks vied with her joyful eyes
in giving her a magical charm which Kelea
could not resist. She was more and more enchanted with the loveliness and gentleness of
the flower which she tended with increasing
fondness. It was the older girl's delight to
make wreaths of the choicest blossoms that
grew about the house on the cliff, and adorn
with them the comely neck of her companion.
Pu' Aloha's beauty was so different from
that of other native maidens, that it seemed
to Kelea to belong to another and superior
race. If tradition can be believed, then the
one white woman, who centuries ago was cast
upon these islands had transmitted a refinement, which now and then appeared in indi



THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF.


283


viduals, like the stars called " sporades " not included in any of the constellations. At any
rate, Kelea could not cast off the spell which Pu'
Aloha threw around her more and more. This
woman, savage born, fitful in her impulses, became almost a worshipper of the gentle being,
whose claim to adoration lay in her artlessness and her delicate beauty of person and
character.
But there were times when the surf-rider,
accustomed to the wild waves and the mountains, became restless and felt that she must
grapple with something in order to tame the
unruly spirit within her. She would plunge
into the thickest jungle, seek the highest crag
when the thunder was the loudest and fill the
ravines with her voice. Now and then the
sound of the sea, reaching her ear far up the
mountain, would set all her pulses beating for
a mad race with the billows.
One day, seeing in the distance hundreds of
bathers on the beach, enjoying a public festival or contest in surf-riding, all her prudence
was swept away, and telling Pu' Aloha that
she was going off to find Hookama for her,
away she fled down the mountain. With the
single thought of her merry comrades, the
dashing rollers from the sea, and a longing for
scope and liberty to let herself loose, she be



284    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


came once more a wild barbarian, impetuous
and heedless.
The crowds, excited by the exploits of
swimmers on surf-boards and in canoes, were
shouting and running up and down the beach,
so that Kelea reached the white crested waves
wholly unnoticed. Seeing a surf-board which
had slipped from some bather's hand, she
seized it and pushed it before her towards one
of the higher breakers which the rest of the
swimmers avoided.
Lustily breasting the heavy waves, handling
her board with consummate skill and watching
for the loftiest comber, she rode the surf so
audaciously and skilfully, that, drawing the
attention of all, she was watched and cheered
as the champion of the hour. When she
came near the shore, by an adroit movement,
instead of landing she dove into a wave which
came after others of less size, and, swimming
under water, emerged among a group of
natives, who, tumbling together in the rush
of the surf took no heed of her arrival among
them.
Again the spirit of reckless daring came
upon her, and borrowing a board from one of
the women, she joined a party of expert swimmers, who were contesting for a prize. With
her usual boldness, she sought the most dangerous surf, and, in the face of disadvantages,




THTE HOttSE ON THi CLIFF.


285


distanced all her rivals, gracefully guiding her
course so as to approach the shore in the deepest water possible.
This time she also mysteriously disappeared,
and the crowd, searching for the fair contestant without success, declared that she
must be some sea-goddess, a suggestion
quickly caught up and repeated by the defeated swimmers, glad of any pretext to cover
their failure. Somehow in the confusion
Kelea managed to escape from her perilous
position and to gain a covert in the fields and
finally a safe return to the house on the cliff.
She did not wholly avoid, as she supposed,
the recognition she feared; one of the swimmers, Maili, knew her and made an unsuccessful attempt to follow her.
All she told Pu' Aloha was that she had
taken a bath and that she had discovered
no traces of Hookama.
She, as well as her companion, was becoming more and more impatient for tidings of the
young alii, and intended, at the earliest opportunity, to find out if she could what had become of him. She dared not risk a meeting with Paao, whose relations towards Pu'
Aloha had been disclosed to her by her friend.
She was therefore cautious in her wanderings,
as well as careful to avoid the path leading
down to Nuuanu valley.




CHAPTER XXVII.


THE CONSPIRATORS' CAVE.
ON the morning after Numuku's rough
wooing of Pu' Aloha and her hasty flight to
the house on the cliff, the wakines came and
found Menehune as usual on the threshold of
his mistress' house. Not many moments afterwards, Numuku met these girls rushing towards his habitation, the dwarf following them,
with the news that Pu' Aloha could not be
found.
The chief became as excited as the rest, but
all that he could discover was that the girl
had gone away in the night. Menehune took
refuge from the chief's inquiries in his accustomed brevity of speech and in a look of
more than unusual imbecility. Once or twice
the dwarf uttered an ejaculation: " Auwe,
auwe! Alas, alas! Little song-bird gone!"
Numuku immediately sent out a scouting




THE CONSPIRATORS' CA VE.


287


party of natives. Menehune went with them
and managed to lead them astray. After
hours of searching they returned with no
tidings of the girl. The dwarf appeared to be
more distressed than any one at the failure of
their efforts and persuaded Numuku by various signs and gesticulations to let him go by
himself to find his mistress.
Then he slipped off and went rapidly by a
round about way to the house on the cliff,
and, having satisfied himself that Pu' Aloha
was there and that no one had been there to
search for her, he returned the second time
and assumed the disconsolate air of a dog
baffled by a false scent.
Paao was absent the night of Pu' Aloha's
flight. He did not come into the enclosure
till noon; when he heard the news he was in a
quandary. He felt the need of great caution.
He had been at a secret meeting of conspirators on the mountain and he was suspicious
of Menehune's movements. He could neither
give the chief a good reason for his absence,
nor acquaint him with his distrust of the
dwarf.
He met Numuku with an expression on his
face of the deepest concern and offered to
make immediate search himself. The chief
counselled waiting, as he had sent out a second




288     KELEA: TItE SUR-RIDER.


scouting band. Towards evening, no tidings
being received, Paao became frightened, lest
his own movements be discovered, and insisted that the perplexed chief should allow
him to make a more thorough search. Numuku
finally yielded and Paao left for the mountain
to notify his accomplices of danger.
The time for Hookama's return from Hawaii
was calculated by Numuku as not far distant.
It made Numuku anxious, and he redoubled
his efforts to discover the missing girl. His
scouts penetrated the thickets and found the
house on the cliff. They reported that there
a poor, blind old woman lived alone and complained that her son, the dwarf, never came
near her and sent her nothing to live on day
by day.
Menehune had been there every night and
had cautioned his mother not to let the girls
be seen till the search was over. She was instructed to hide them in a cave with which
the grass hut communicated. The dwarf had
built the house for concealment. The end
nearest the cliff was hung with tapa, over
which were placed calabashes and cooking
utensils. Near the ground, under the tapa, was
a narrow entrance to a hollow in the rock, filled
with rubbish. Creeping through this hollow,
one came to a good sized cavern, where it was




THE CON2SPIRA TORS' CA VIE.


289


possible to build a fire, the smoke escaping by
a number of the fissures in the rock.
The two girls, watching in the daytime for
stragglers, retired into this cave when any one
appeared, till they received a signal that the
coast was clear. At night they made themselves comfortable on mats in the cavern.
Thus, much of the day could be spent in the
open air. They called it a pilikia (botheration), but made light of the discomfort.
After Menehune's warning they    stayed
nearly all the time in the cave, trying to
amuse themselves in the best way they could.
On the second day of this enforced confinement, Kelea, growing restless, and with her
usual boldness and love of adventure, climbed
into the clefts of the cavern and explored its
recesses. She came upon streams of water,
and slippery places where it was difficult to
get a foothold, and where her candle-nut
taper gave a fitful light. Persisting in her explorations she found, at last, an opening into
the air under the blue sky. Standing outside,
among tangled vines and piles of stones, she
enjoyed the prospect which took in the whole
of the Koolau district and the distant sea.
But attempting to return, she discovered that
she had no more candle-nuts and no means
of lighting one, even if she had it. Nothing




290    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


daunted, she determined to return on the outside and began the descent with much courage.
The sharp lava points cut her feet and she was
often stopped on the brink of a precipice over
which a cascade fell sheer down for hundreds
of feet. She twisted her tapa mantle more
closely about her and painfully toiled downwards, till she was conscious of having lost her
bearings, being shut in by high masses of rock.
The tired girl was almost ready to lie down
in despair, when she thought she heard a
sound like that of human voices. All around
her, nature was primeval, as if never invaded
by man, but she was more and more convinced
that she heard persons talking not far away.
The sound came from a fissure in the rock
against which she was leaning. Placing her
ear over the crevice, she heard distinctly the
words of several men in conversation. To
listen she crept lower down and took a position where she could hear better, although
entirely hidden from view among the rank
grasses and stunted shrubs.
To her amazement and horror, one voice,
louder than all the rest, was that of Paao, her
hated assailant in the vale of lao. Still more
amazed she heard the company discussing
a diabolical plot against the king of Oahu
and his government. She could not see the




THE CONSPIRA TORS' CA VE.


291


men, but from their language and tones she
knew they must be chiefs, because the difference between the aliis and the common natives
was very marked, not only in intelligence but
in voice and utterance.
A deep conspiracy against Kahahana's
authority was discussed in its details. The
number of warriors who could be relied upon
was given, and some of their names were mentioned in the course of the conversation. The
time for an attack on the royal house at Waikiki
was left undecided but all agreed that it should
be made very soon. Paao gave much information as to the King's forces and said that one
or two of the priests of the royal heiau were
in favor of the rebels. He also declared that
Kahekili, king of Maui, had promised him
aid.
Kelea's heart beat wildly, and she was
fearful lest some involuntary movement on
her part should betray her presence. Several
times she was obliged to take her ear from
the crevice and quiet herself. When the
council of conspirators broke up, she heard
them strike their daggers together and take a
solemn oath not to betray each other. Then
the chiefs, whose voices told Kelea that most
of them were young men, scattered in every
direction, over rocks and into ravines, adding




292     KELEA: rHE SURF-RIDER.


to the listening girl's terror lest they discover
her.
Paao lingered a moment after the others had
gone. Kelea heard him mutter: "So this
revolt will give me revenge on more than one
enemy. Ka, hc, ha! I can choose my own fruit
when I am made a priest." She shuddered
at his words, as she thought of Pu' Aloha and
her own fate, if the conspiracy succeeded
with Paao for its leader.
When she heard this arch traitor leave the
cavern, she felt impelled to get a glimpse of
him as he went down the mountain. Clambering from her hiding place above the cave
she hurried after his retreating footsteps,
keeping at a safe distance. She longed to
hurl a stone at him and fingered the dagger,
which she always carried in her girdle.
Once, as a twig crackled under her foot, she
thought she saw Paao turn his head; instantly
she dropped on the ground and to her great
relief the man went on with quicker strides.
Suddenly he stopped and seemed to listen.
Then he searched the bushes on one side of
the path.
These movements alarmed Kelea so much
that, forgetful of everything but escape,
she crept into the low shrubbery, slipped
under the branches, climbed over rocks and,




THE CONSPIRATORS' CA VE.


293


coming upon an abrupt declivity, slid down
its side, regardless of the deep hollow into
which she was plunging. Finding a place
under a sheltering rock, where, lying prostrate,
she could not be seen from above, she lay
motionless for a long time.
At last, as all was silent, she began to
scramble on, if possible to get back to the
path which she had left in her fright. She
feared nothingbut an encounter with Paao,
who might be in pursuit of her. She was a
good climber and caught glimpses of the sun.
Shaping her course towards the west, after
more than an hour's painful effort, it was
evident that she had lost her reckoning.
The ravines became deeper and their sides 
steeper.
She determined to get on a high place where
she 'could look off. She drank from a little
pool and ate some akala berries, and began
with fresh ardor to climb the rough side of a
cliff.
Without looking down at the perilous way
she had come, at last she arrived at a high
point where a narrow ledge on the face of the
crag offered a resting place. Panting, she
sat down and for the first time saw that it
would be impossible to ascend beyond the
slight projection to which she was clinging.




294     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Then, glancing downwards, she was amazed at
the perils she had surmounted on her way up.
The sheer wall above and the precipice below
bewildered and appalled her.
Faint and giddy, she laid herself down as
carefully as she could on the narrow ledge
and clutched some large roots. She had been
in this position some time, revolving the situation in her mind, when, suddenly, she thought
she caught a glimpse of a moving figure far
above her, appearing between the rocks and
scrub trees on the top of the cliff. She was
afraid it was Paao and dared not cry out for help.
She must keep her self-possession or she
would roll off the ledge. She tried to think
of other things, but when some loose stones
and soil, dislodged from above, fell into the
ravine, she knew that she was discovered and
that somebody was trying to reach her.
Getting on her feet she loosened the dagger
that it might be ready at her hand.
There was a rustling of leaves and a crackling sound as if a branch had been broken. A
point above the ledge shut off her view in the
direction of the noise. Nearer and nearer
came the sounds. If it were a rescuer, why did
he keep so quiet? If it were Menehune, he
would give at least a grunt to tell her he was
coming. Only Paao, she thought, would come




THE CONSPIRA TORS' CA VE.


295


stealthily, and she clutched the handle of the
dagger with a nervous grasp.
She had not long to wait in suspense.
After a more portentous sound of some one
descending on the other side of the jutting
rock, out from the cliff swung a man clinging
to a rope. Only a part of his back could be
seen at intervals, as he tried to give his body
the motion of a pendulum along the face of
the precipice. Evidently he was endeavoring
to get a foothold on the ledge.
A few seconds more and a successful thrust
with his foot enabled him to catch the ledge.
Then, feeling his way backwards, still holding
the rope, he gained the footing that he sought,
straightened himself up and, turning around,
came face to face with Kelea.
There was hardly room for two persons on
the ledge, but the man stood firmly, having
the rope in his right hand, leaving the other
hand free. Kelea trembled and turned pale
as the stranger seized her with his left arm
and held her fast.




CHAPTER XXVIII.


A SON OF A GOD.
WHEN Hookama left the region of the Lake
of Fire on the side of Mauna Loa, he and his
guide started for the heights of Mauna Kea,
the twin-mountain by the side of Loa, where
were gathered, at this season, the birds with
the finest feathers known on the islands. It
was a toilsome journey. Dead koa trees
abounded, and after leaving the timber line,
ledges were climbed, crevasses leaped, gullies
traversed and clinkers of lava trodden under
foot.
It was noon when they reached a mass of
rocks where earthquakes had split the mountain, leaving immense caverns. Under the
shadow of almost inaccessible crags, they prepared for their ingenious and arduous work of
bird-catching.  The constant rains kept the
high lands below the summit of Mauna Kea,




A SON OF A GOD.


297


green with foliage. Ohia and lehua trees,
ferns and tough grasses with long, spear-like
blades, covered the sides of the ravines and
grew high up on the cliffs, wherever enough
soil for their roots could be found. Only the
most expert climber could scale some of the
precipices, where the birds fluttered and gave
forth their peculiar notes.
The lehua trees, which the oo and the matmo
loved, were beginning to blossom, and the
birds from the topmost branches were calling
to their mates. The ohia-ai (mountain apple)
was also in flower. From the lowlands the
feathery songsters had come to enjoy the
blooming season, and the mamo bird, having
the most precious of pure yellow feathers, one
beneath each of its wings, plumed itself and
twittered in joyful ecstasy. The spot chosen
by Lou, who was well acquainted with the
locality, was a picturesque dell, overhung
with crags and moist with numerous streams
and cascades.
The hunters built themselves a rude hut
under a shelving rock, thatching the roof with
long, tough leaves. In order to screen themselves from the rain and to conceal themselves
as much as possible from the keen eyes of the
little birds, they encased their bodies and
limbs in a flexible net-work, into the meshes




293     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


of which were looped strips of the ti-leaf,
which hung, point downwards, on the outside,
The birds were wary, and only by the most
adroit management could they be caught.
The special bird the hunters sought was the
mamo, shy and difficult to capture. It was the
custom for bird-catchers to offer a prayer to
the gods before beginning the sport; then
they made an offering of ozelo berries. At
night they set up poles, long and slender.
To these poles they affixed cross-pieces
smeared with the sticky gum of the papala
tree. They tied to the poles blossoms of the
lehua, in imitation of the trees.
Each morning, hiding in a covert, with a
fine line having a noose at the end, the snare
being arranged on the pole, the bird-catcher
imitated the peculiar whistle of the mamo and
waited for the proud little bird to appear.
Perched on a neighboring tree, prinking, pruning and displaying itself, it drove away other
birds attempting to alight.
Now the hunter must use all his wits to capture it. After cocking its head warily from
side to side, it advances to take the blossom,
and the catcher, by a sudden jerk of the line
as the bird sticks in the gum, secures his
prize.
It astonished Lou, who was one of the most




A SON OF A GOD.


299


skilful bird-catchers on Hawaii, to see how
adroitly Hookama snared his game and imitated
the whistle of the saucy mamo. He looked on
with wonder and admiration as the young alii
scaled the face of a pali (precipice) in following
up the flight of the elusive songsters. The result was that the two men captured more birds
and secured more feathers in three days than
many hunters obtained in six. It was the
element of danger, however, that made the
sport popular with the chiefs.
But as bird-catching was only a pretext for
the visit to Hawaii, Hookama reluctantly
abandoned the hunt and, to Lou's disgust, insisted on returning at once to Hilo. The guide
led the youth along a narrow trail, through an
immense belt of forest, till the two men
emerged on the bright, grassy uplands not far
from the picturesque village of Onomea, which
straggled along the shore by which they must
reach Hilo to the south.
Onomea, a populous village, five hundred
feet above the blue ocean, was like an enchanted place to the young alii after the toilsome tramp over the lava and the matted
grasslands of the higher regions. The air was
soft and delicious. Ravines, waterfalls, palms,
oheas and hibiscus decked the paths leading
down to patches of velvet green near the sea.




300      "ELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


The surges, tossing spray over rocks and reefs,
made the music that Hookama loved to hear,
and his spirit was soothed by luxuriant Nature
in her most enchanting forms.
The entire journey along the coast was a
succession of delights. Even the deep and
sometimes dangerous gulches which must be
crossed, were nothing to the palis of Mauna
Kea which had been climbed. The cascades,
overhung by rainbows, gleamed in shining
beauty as the eye followed up the many ravines;
exquisite flowers and tropical plants filled the
air with fragrance, and the young man, fresh as a
lark and blithe as a bird, revelled in the joy of his
young manhood, with the blue sky above him
and the spangled earth beneath his feet. Life
was a joy, and along the trail the villagers
whom he met stopped and listened to the love
songs which he chanted, as he bounded on his
way.
Lou's bowlegs found it difficult to carry him
at the same rapid pace. He liked the rough
mountain better than the flowery coast. The
only bird-song he cared for was the twitter of
the oo and the  namno, when, trapped by his
smeary gum, they fluttered their wings in vain
attempts to escape the snare. He knew many
of the people along the route and liked to stop
and chat with the women, lying in the sun or
bathing in the surf.




IT
I




8-  rg      a I  I    ~IR,,E~aM, SX,,,X,, 
I  |  111  I  | 111111 g I 111111 1 l I El ~~aii.  Ws. 
"E 8  l l l 1 | l   l  <   tS1vS.. ~ il 'L i ~ Y 0'"s"''u
1  e   '   S:   _ i
8V..-..  ~ in    _
+,    L 1   '; '.M~ty  z_>:         f
X,. \  %.   11~-r4 l~n~S LF  IPI r 1"RP[)Z.:)A-~  I:  11,X




A SON OF A GOD.


301


Hookama humored his whims and often
waited for the little man, choosing some lofty
point where he could look off at the distant
sea-horizon and give play to his fancy. He
was sitting one afternoon in a grove of cocoanut palms, with the sea at his feet and myriads
of flowers, vines and fruit plants about him,
when his eye caught sight of a hideous stone
idol, half buried in a mass of bright yellow
blossoms and amid a profusion of broad green
leaves.
The misshapen image somehow suggested
by contrast the magnificent sights he had
witnessed at the volcano of Kilauea. As he recalled those appearances, it seemed as if Pele
were after all the Goddess of Fire. At any rate
such a goddess was worthy of worship, if she
existed. He had felt her heated breath. Volcanic clouds had covered him with her resplendent hair. Her voice was the thunder of exploding rocks. Her caresses were flames and
consuming fires. Terrible she might be, but
she was grand.
" How near I came to being burnt to a cinder when I was fascinated by her breath and
Lou pulled me back from that awful chasm!"
thought he. " If that grinning idol yonder had
been in my place when the ledge broke off, it
would have sunk like a stone in the fire.  Son




302     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
of a god!' I wonder what it means? They
call me so; but what does it amount to, after
all? "
What conclusion Hookama might have
reached it is impossible to tell, for just at this
uncertain and incomplete stage of his meditations, the head of Lou appeared down the trail,
and, as he came nearer, Hookama saw that he
carried in his arms a little sucking pig, a bunch
of bananas and a wreath of flowers. Two fowls
with their legs tied together were strung over
the little man's shoulders, and from various
parts of his person strips of tapa dangled and
floated in the gentle breeze.
"I was getting hungry," Lou said. "Our
stock of kalo gave out yesterday, so I told
the people at the last village that you were the
'son of a god; ' that the old prophetess of
Pele said so; and that you wanted a hookupu
(gift-festival), such as they offer to high chiefs
and mois. There they come," he called out,
and soon Hookama was surrounded on all sides
by a motley crowd which piled up fruit and
cocoa-nuts at his feet and covered him with
wreaths and flowers.
Then they all prostrated themselves in a
circle around him and Lou joined in, floundering on the ground, with his head between the
two chickens which cackled and fluttered in
true fowl fashion.




A SOa OF A GOD.


303


"Well," thought the young alii, " son of a
god or not, they worship a decent looking fellow just as readily as they do that hideous
image," and, raising his right hand aloft with
his staff, he shouted, " Worship! worship!"
Then pushing aside an old crone with a ragged
skirt who tried to clasp his knees, he caught a
couple of the prettiest girls by the arms and
cried, " Hula; hula! (Dance; dance!)" All
the crowd joined in with glee, Hookama in the
midst of them, capering and jumping, wreaths
on his head and over his shoulders and arms.
It was the kind of a god the people liked, although they had never seen one of the sort
before. They were especially delighted when
Hookama, much to Lou's disgust, gave back
and distributed the gifts, retaining only those
attached to the guide's body. The people
were poor and Hookama knew it. "Too
many chiefs," as Lou said, "eat up the
people."
For the " son of a god" then, to lift off the
tabu, even for a half hour, was a very precious
boon, and since no priests were in sight and
no spy in the crowd, even the women dared to
eat bananas and cocoa-nuts, while the men and
boys gulped them down as if they had eaten
nothing for a week.
In due time, the two "bird-catchers" ar



304    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


rived at Hilo Bay. Keawe welcomed Hookama, who said little or nothing to the
bigoted chief concerning his adventures, an
account of which the priestess of Pele had
spread broadcast. Lou kept his own counsel
also and was delighted when Hookama presented him with an entire bird-catcher's outfit.
The young alii spent his last night at
Cocoa-nut Island under the waving palms.
His warriors had been royally entertained
during his absence. They had engaged in
friendly games and contests with the chiefs of
Hawaii and had won their share of the prizes.
Other hospitalities, which civilization cannot
encourage, need not be mentioned. They had
witnessed, in awe-struck amazement, the spectacle of a burning river of lava, flowing down
the side of Mauna Loa till it reached the sea;
they had been present at the heiau, where
human sacrifices were offered to Pele, to ward
off the anger of the offended deity, and they
would be glad to remain longer on the island,
which to them was a paradise of plenty and
pleasure.
But when, the morning after Hookama's arrival, the alii Keawe, surrounded by his warriors in helmets and cloaks, and with a swarming multitude of natives on the beach and in
the surf, shouted the last Alohas in honor of




A SON OF A GOD.


3o5


the " son of a god " that had put out Pele's fires,
it was a sight to stir the young man's blood
and that of his followers too.
In the stern of his war-canoe and with his
eight stout warriors at the paddles, the youth,
covered with leis, heard the shouts of his
admirers crowding a multitude of canoes as an
escort, and repeated over and over his farewell
words. But as he looked back from the open
sea and saw a faint smoke from the distant
mountain he rejoiced in every stroke of his
men that carried him farther and farther from
the realms of the fiery goddess.
Lou made the most sensible remark of this
parting occasion, as he watched the war-canoe,
headed for Oahu, far out on the blue sea.
"Idols! gods! What are they good for,
when a 'son of a god ' like that is more to my
liking than a hundred Peles, and his legs are
as straight as a palm?"
" Paa, pa! " said a dirty Kanaka standing
near, who overheard the soliloquy. "Take
care, or Pele's mankiller will give you a covering of ashes and a chunk of lava to mark the
hole."
The only answer the bowlegged bird-catcher
deigned to give was:  To Milu with Pele!
It's where she belongs."




CHAPTER XXIX.


A DISCONSOLATE LOVER.
IT happened to be the same morning on
which Kelea lighted on the council of conspirators in the cave on the mountain, that
Hookama in his war-canoe entered the inlet at
Waikiki and landed once more on the shores
of Oahu. He was received by the king and a
retinue of warriors, who crowded about him
and eagerly asked news from Hawaii.
Numuku, the chief of Nuuanu valley, was in
the company, and though he touched noses
with Hookama and treated him with a degree
of courtesy, he showed no great delight over
his return. He was too blunt wholly to disguise his real feelings, but he was too sagacious, knowing the king's friendship for the
young man, to manifest any decided aversion.
It was not good policy, under the circumstances, to treat Hookama otherwise'than as his
adopted son and a member of his household.




A DISCONSOLATE LOVER.


307


Hookama was too glad to be again in his
native island to notice anything peculiar in Numuku's reception of him, and he was too eager
to see Pu' Aloha, to think much about any
thing or any body except the lovely maiden
who had waved her red mantle to him when
he departed (it seemed to him a long time
ago,) on his adventurous journey.
Hookama's second in command and the
other stout warriors who had manned his warcanoe, were loud in his praises as a leader, and
had marvellous stories to tell of the enjoyments afforded them by the chiefs of Hawaii.
Even the beautiful beach at Waikiki, with its
fringe of tall cocoa-palms, was nothing, they
averred, in comparison with the waving palms
and soft breezes of Cocoa-nut Island, in the
lovely bay of Hilo.
Hookama was not long in seeking and
obtaining an audience in the royal house of
Kahahana, and although he had not succeeded
in arranging an alliance between the king of
Hawaii and the king of Oahu, yet the good
offices shown to him by the Hawaiian chiefs
pleased the king, who accepted with evident
delight some of the precious feathers of the
mamo which the young alii had obtained.
Besides, the king had received a message of
good will from Kahekili of Maui, with a re



308     KELEA: THE SURF-RIZDER.


quest for further aid, in case the king of
Hawaii should start out on another raid. As
usual, the treacherous Kahekili made great
promises, even going so far as to engage that
at his death, Kahahana should be appointed
his successor. If all the chiefs to whom the
same promise was made had come to the
throne, there would have been more kings at
loggerheads on Maui, than there were reigning sovereigns on all the islands of the group.
The good-natured king only laughed when
Hookama told him of the old Hawaiian king's
prophecy and his agreement to meet him in
the land of ghosts. He felt of his stout arms
and smote his broad chest with his fists and
asked his young friend if the wizened old
warrior had been able to stand on his thin legs
without support, during his interview with
him. As for Kamehameha and the other
giant chief, the young king acknowledged
their warlike ability and congratulated Hookama on having escaped in his contest with the
"Lonely One," whose superiority was well
known throughout all the islands.
The king had no local information for
Hookama except the result of the Council of
Chiefs in favor of sustaining the present regime.
He was not very hopeful of securing the continuance of their support, but he was taking




A DISCONSOLA TE LO ER.


309


measures to thwart any treacherous schemes
which the malcontents might devise; and he
gave Hookama to understand that he should
rely implicitly on his loyalty.
To this the young alii assented, and expressed the strongest desire that his friendship
might be tested in any desperate enterprise by
which he could serve the king.
As the king knew little concerning the private affairs of many of his chiefs, he could not
give Hookama any news of Numuku's household, so that the youth hastened homeward,
after the interview, full of excited expectation,
as he thought of soon seeing Pu' Aloha. He
had felt a strange diffidence on this subject,
when he met Numuku at the landing, and so
had asked no questions. The old chief quite
naturally volunteered no information, especially as the continued absence of Pu' Aloha reflected upon his guardianship. Besides, he
had no good reason to give for her flight, except that he had pressed her to marry him
and Paao.
Blithely and joyfully, Hookama crossed the
dry and dusty plains. Singing a merry song
he skirted the sides of Puu waina (Punch Bowl).
Almost out of breath, so rapidly did he ascend
Nuuanu stream, he came nearer and nearer
the enclosure, expecting every moment to




310    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


catch sight of Pu' Aloha, who, he was sure,
had seen his canoe in the offing and was waiting for him, although his eye had not discovered her in her lookout on the tree.
"Perhaps," he said to himself, "the little
flower is holding herself back, to make the
welcome more delightful," and he entered the
area where the chief's houses were grouped,
as one would tread upon enchanted ground.
It was under the glare of the hot sun that
he crossed the sward, and he attributed the
stillness and the absence of moving objects to
the heat. Under the shade in a distant corner
was the little grass lodging-house of Pu' Aloha
covered with flowering vines. The verandah
was tenantless, and the opening was hung
with tapa. "Perhaps," said he, "she takes
her nap at noon; I ought not to disturb her."
He gave a low whistle, as he used to do, and
waited with palpitating heart for the answer.
Even Menehune was not at his post.
Some women, in their houses near at hand,
heard the well-known signal, and coming forth,
greeted him with effusive welcome, but at once
changed the greeting into a wailing chant, as
he said eagerly, " Where is my flower? Is she
sleeping?" " Alas! " they cried in a chorus
of lamentation, "she has gone; many days;




A DISCONSOLATE LOVER.


3xI


no one knows where; Numuku has beaten us
many times."
Hookama pushed aside the tapa and went
into the room, which was as Pu' Aloha left it
the night of her flight. Evidences of her
hasty departure were on every hand. The air
of the room, usually fragrant with blossoms,
was close, and a few tapa mantles were lying
on the floor as if dropped in the hurry of her
escape. The revulsion of feeling, in the young
man's mind, left him in a bewildered state;
he hardly believed his eyes and could scarcely
restrain his tears. He caught up a red mantle
of gauzy tapa, which he had often seen on
Pu' Aloha's shoulders and rushing rapidly to
his own hut on the other side of the enclosure,
gathered together some of the things he used
in bird-hunting-a long coil of stout cord, a
strong staff, a calabash, a hatchet of stone,
and'a small gourd containing awa-and, without stopping to reflect, was on his way up the
valley-path before the women could finish telling all they knew.
They had given him, however, unconnected
scraps of information: She had gone mauka
(towards the mountains); scouts had failed to
find her; Menehune went every day to search
for her; Numuku was cross; the priests had
killed a hog and found bad omens. All these




312     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


gossipy details made Hookama sick at heart,
and the whole world, so beautiful to him before,
was turned into a wilderness.
As he ran up the valley, the sombre cliffs in
shadow gave his heart a pang. " Perhaps her
body is lying in some deep, inaccessible gulch.
She has fallen into some narrow fissure." He
asked incoherent questions at the doors of the
huts along the way, and the women answered
softly as if they knew he was a disconsolate
lover. They could give him no information.
They had been questioned over and over again
by Numuku's scouts.
When he reached the opening, where the
valley is a mile in width, he struck off into the
forest on the right, climbing the mountain by
a well-known path. Every gully, stream, cliff
and peak was familiar to him; he passed up
among hollows, dark in shadow and silent as the
grave. In his agony he forgot all prudence and
was startled, after a headlong leap over a wide
seam in the rock, at the danger he had escaped.
Leaning on his staff to take breath, he listened
intently for the slightest sound. If a dead
branch fell at his feet he started as if he feared
a sad discovery.
For hours he wandered, not aimlessly, but
searching gulches and jungles; his feet were
bruised and sore, and the tapas which he carried




A DISCONSOLA TE LOVER.


3I3


on his arm were torn in the dense thickets.
He had cut his way through almost impassable
underbrush and waded through morasses and
streams. He had stood on lofty ridges and
searched with eager eye the landscape. He had
explored many a cave, for he knew that fugitives were often secreted there, fed by the natives who always sympathized with those who
fled from either justice or cruelty. One of these
hunted creatures he met in an obscure gully,
grubbing for roots, who told him that the
assassin of the priests had doomed him for sacrifice. To this poor Kanaka, who was scared
almost out of his wits at the approach of
Hookama, he gave a few drops of awa and a
cake of baked poi.
He was almost disheartened as his search
seemed fruitless and his limbs became weary.
He was obliged to rest, in order to get
strength to keep on. Seated on a high rock,
looking up a deep ravine, wider than most of
the gulches which he had crossed, he followed
with his eye the desolate crags, fallen and decaying trees, lofty precipices and descending torrents. He wondered if by any possibility Pu' Aloha could have wandered into a
place so forbidding.
Scanning the jagged walls of the opposite
side of the stupendous chasm, he thought




314     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
he saw a white spot, some distance up
the precipitous slope. As he strained his
eyes, for the distance was great, he fancied
that the white object moved and became like
an upright streak, an unusual color on the
side of these lavapalis. " Could it be a living
being, at such a height and apparently clinging without support to the smooth crag? Was
it Pu' Aloha?" The bare suggestion made
him tremble. But soon the probability that
the maiden was alive summoned back all his
strength. Climbing in and out, around wide
fissures and across fallen trees, he at last
reached an opening where he could obtain a
nearer view. Yes, it was a woman with a
white tapa, but she had evidently fallen from
either faintness or exhaustion, and, with her
hand clutching something, a root or vine, she
lay on what seemed at that distance a slight
projection from the face of the cliff. He did
not dare to call out, for fear that his voice
might startle and perhaps dislodge her from her
dangerous position. Moreover, he was so far
off that probably his loudest shout would not
reach her ears.
With incredible skill and great daring, he
crossed the gulch and climbed the height, and
finally gained a spot as near as he could estimate over the place where the white figure




A DISCONSOLATE LO VER.


315


was lying. He had with his eye marked a
tree, on the summit, and it served as a guide.
If he could tie his rope to the roots and swing
down he might reach the object of his pursuit.
But he saw that the rope would not measure
half the distance.
Nothing daunted, for he was in the habit of
taking risks, he coiled the cord about his
waist; swung himself over the cliff by a
vine rooted securely in the rock; then made a
bold move and, clinging to the vine, threw the
rope, lasso-fashion, towards a tree which grew
out of the cliff and drew the supple trunk
within his reach. Disengaging the rope, he
jumped and caught the tree which swayed
and bent under his weight. It was a perilous
descent, with the tree vibrating under him,
but he gained the ledge from which the tree
was growing and tied the rope fast to its roots
which were larger than the trunk itself. We
have seen how he then descended and gained
a footing on the narrow ledge. No one but a
skilled bird-catcher would have attempted or
could have performed the feat, in the face of
such difficulties.




CHAPTER XXX.


AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.
NEVER was there a more astonished couple
than Kelea and Hookama, as they stood on
that narrow projection half-way up the cliff
on Kouahuanui mountain. Kelea had not
thought of Hookama as a possible pursuer or
rescuer. Hookama had no idea that Kelea was
within a hundred miles of Oahu.
"Kelea! you here!" was Hookama's first
exclamation, "I thought it was another-"
he was about to say "another woman," but
checked himself as he saw a strange look on
her face. She grew pale and more agitated as
he regarded her with an expression of surprise
and disappointment. Her body shook in his
grasp.
"Tell me," he cried, not knowing what
else to say, "how did you get here?" Her
only answer was an increasing pallor and a




AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.


317


loosening of her hold on the rock. She hung
heavily on the arm by which he held her, as if
her strength were failing, and faintly murmured, "You swore there was no other; let
me go; fling me down the pali. Oh, Hookama,
Hookama!"
Her weight was becoming too heavy for
him to support with his left arm, and his right
hand which held the taut rope was cramped by
the strain. If he let go, either of the rope or
of the girl, there was great danger of a catastrophe.
Perceiving the imminent peril, the young
man changed his tone: "Kelea! command
yourself. Lie down and cling to that root, or
we shall both fall into the chasm. This is no
place for weakness." The girl obeyed and he
assisted her to lie down. Then, with both
hands on the rope, he cautiously looked about
for means of escape.
They could not climb back by the way he
had come down. He could not lower the girl,
for the rope was fastened above. There was a
chance for one person, leaving the other on
the ledge, to swing off by the rope, the loose
end of which, when let go, would reach
several feet below the place where they stood,
but would thus be swung around the point,
and out of the reach of the one who was left.




3t8      tKELA: THE S tUR.f Z-D~R.


One could then drop from the rope to a projecting rocka few feet lower and, by a comparatively easy descent, get down the rest of
the way.
The person left on the ledge without the
rope must take his chances of some other way
out of the difficulty. He explained the
method of escape to Kelea, but she flatly refused to go, if he must remain.
"What cares Kelea," she said in a tender
voice, " how soon she finds her 'time to sleep,'
now  that Hookama has come back and is
willing to save her life at the expense of his
own! No, no, save thyself; thy life is far
dearer to me than my own," and she looked up
into his face with an expression that he had
never seen on her countenance before.
He turned away as if to examine the
means of escape more carefully, but his
thought was, " Is then her love for me like
that? " After peering over the ledge, he pretended to have discovered another, although
more difficult way down and, turning to
Kelea, declared in a cheerful voice, " Now
for the rope; I can easily descend."
It was only after he assured her, over and
over again, that he could go down the way she
had come up, that he prevailed on her to leave
the ledge. " I must be a poor bird-catcher if




AN UtNEXP)PCrPTe  ME A~TINGC.


3t9


I cannot climb down where a wahine has come
up," he exclaimed as he put the rope into her
hands. Her nerve was equal to the emergency, for she boldly made the plunge, descended hand over hand and landed in safety.
The next moment she called out joyously to
Hookama to lower himself on the other side
of the ledge, and climb down by a big root,
from which a tough koali vine was hanging.
Hookama lost no time in following the suggestion, and the two joined each other, after a
hard scramble, at the bottom of the gulch.
The young alii broke the painful silence
that fell upon them both as they stood together in the shadows of the valley, by saying,
as he pointed to the narrow ledge, " The rope
is there; now let somebody else try to get a
girl off that wrinkle of the cliff, if he can."
Kelea mechanically turned and looked up
towards the ledge, but she was not looking at
the rope. Her soul was quivering in the
presence of the man for whom she had dared
much and would dare more, even at the risk
of losing everything but his love. She was
burning with the desire to feel the thrill of his
touch, the joy of his affection, or even the
heart's ease of a single kindly word. The impulse came upon her, not with the recklessness
of her previous passion but as a strong inclina



320     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


tion, to throw her arms about him, lay her
head upon his shoulder and cling to him as
for her life.
Her eyes grew lustrous and her heart
throbbed beneath the folds of tapa wrapped
about her. Unconsciously, she loosened the
cloth that concealed the charms of her neck
and shoulders, and turned towards the object
enshrined in her soul.
Hookama hardly noticed her movement,
although his eyes were in that direction. His
thoughts were wholly on Pu' Aloha. He was
provoked, almost angry that he had rescued
Kelea, when another and a dearer one was the
object of his search. It was a most inopportune moment for any advances on the part of
the girl. At this particular time she was an
obstacle in his path, he must guide her out
of the wild country and delay the pursuit on
which his whole mind was bent. He was
almost in despair lest his search should be
fruitless.
As the girl turned towards him, her glowing
face mocked his anxiety. With as calm a
voice as he could command he asked where he
should take her. He did not question her as
to how she came to the island. He seemed indifferent and without curiosity.
Instantly, all the haughty manner of the




ANI UNEXPECTED MEETING.


321


proud woman returned as she replied, "I need
no guidance; as I came I can go. Leave me
to myself, since you treat me as a slave!"
"But I cannot let you go alone; night is
coming and the way is dangerous," rejoined
the youth in a less irritated voice. " You may
live in a cave or in the hollow of a tree, but
I shall see you safe somewhere before I leave
you. You are lost, and you know it. I am
perfectly at home in these wild lands. Answer me then, where do you live? "
Kelea felt that it would be useless to resist
and at once described the house on the cliff.
Hookama knew it well and the way to it. He
often went there in his expeditions. He and
the old "mother" were excellent friends.
With hasty steps he started off and Kelea
followed.
After an hour's toil over the rough country,
going in single file and without exchanging a
word, Kelea demanded a halt. She was tired
and must rest. She sat down on a fallen
trunk by the wayside, and Hookama stood
near by, with his back towards her, while he
impatiently struck the ground with his staff.
Kelea looked about her at the wild flowers
growing profusely at her side and finally after
calling a number of them by their names, she
plucked one of the loveliest, and, as if con



L322      XPtEA: rTI   S.UR.-RPIDA.


muning with her own thoughts, said in a subdued tone of voice, " Pua-aloha, the fairest of
them all! " She was repeating the words and
holding the flower to her bosom, looking around
for more of the same kind, when Hookama, as
if startled from a reverie by the name, wheeled
around and faced her, exclaiming, " Pu' Aloha!
what do you know of her? Tell me at once."
The flush on the young man's cheek revealed
the indignation he felt against the girl who
spoke so calmly, as he supposed, of one whose
very existence, so precious to him, might at
that moment be in deadly peril.
"Pu' Aloha? Pu' Aloha?" replied Kelea;
"I was only looking at the flower called by
that name. Pu' Aloha!-" and firmly setting
her lips and teeth, she looked steadily at the
youth, who could not restrain his impatience
and, completely off his guard, fiercely ejaculated, " Tell me where she is, if you know. I was
searching for her when I found you on the
cliff. If you think-" But Hookama was not
allowed to finish the sentence. Kelea, stung
by his tone as much as by his language, cried
out, " Aha, my alii, then she is 'the other.'
Had I only known it sooner! Why did you
not tell me in the vale of Iao and save me this
long journey in search of you?"
As if revolving something in her mind, she




AN UNVEXPPCP~TD ME~TIVC.


323


continued, half speaking to herself: " Ah, yes!
I think Menehune said something about a girl
of that name who ran away from a chief who
wanted to marry her, and from a man called
Paao, who was in league with the chief.
"Pu' Aloha; " she looked into the flashing
eyes of Hookama as she lengthened out the
torture; "Pu'Aloha; the girl that was lost
and came not back to the loving pair in
Nuuanu valley, who sought her so tenderly.
Pu' Aloha! " and she shot a keen glance at the
alii, who was kept silent by the hope of hearing something that would give him a clue in
his search for his loved one.
" Ah, yes! You were looking for her when
you found me. I see it now. You would cast
me into that chasm "(pointing to a yawning
riff in the rocks near by,) " for one glimpse of
your ' flower of love '-you would kill me-do
not speak yet-yes, kill me, if you might, by
doing it, clasp this sweetheart to your breast.
" I see; I see! " and leaving this acting of a
part, the excited and now angry girl spit forth
words of scorn and wrath and fury at the man
who waited with brain on fire to hear the end,
if at the end he might learn where to find the
treasure of his heart.
" I hate you, Hookama! As I loved you
with all the ardor of a flaming torch, I hate




324    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


you now with the red fire of a Pele's wrath.
Go to your Flower of Love! She is at the
house on the cliff. I have been with her there
for weeks, and she has never so much as
breathed your name. Go and be happy with
your goddess, if she condescends to let you
touch the tip of one of her fingers; but remember, if you dare tell her that I have made
love to you-or that I have even seen youI will devote you both to the infernal gods.
Go, and may the thought of Kelea poison your
life, till you sink into the pit of Aiilu, where
perhaps your other victims await you, to
torment you forever."
She hardly knew what she was saying.
Hookama became more and more angry. His
impulse was to spring at her and close her
mouth, lest she should revile Pu' Aloha as well
as himself. Kelea divined his purpose and,
before he could take a step to execute it,
swiftly and lightly bounded from the path
and was on the high rocks over the way, with a
heavy stone ready in her hands to hurl at him
if he attempted to follow. Her nostrils were
distended and her strong arms poised the missile above her head.
Hookama saw at once the folly of urging the
girl to further words or acts. It would be
madness to make her his enemy. What might




AN UNEXPECTED MEE TING.


325


she not do to Pu' Aloha? His first thought
was of that. He crossed his arms therefore
over his breast.
"What foolishness, Kelea, to act like la-e
puni (one marked in the forehead)! Think
you I would hurt you? that I mean you any
harm? I swear by all the gods to say nothing
of this to any one. You will be safe with me.
Come down and leave your wrath behind you.
There is no need of-"
But Kelea, dashing the stone into the gulf,
with a gesture of disdain and defiance turned
her back and disappeared from his sight, as if
she had sunk into the chasm, where she had
hurled the heavy rock. Hookama made no
attempt to follow her. He quickly pushed on
to the house on the cliff, eager to meet his beloved, hoping to find her more of a woman
than a goddess, notwithstanding the assertions
of Kelea and his own fears.




CHAPTER XXXI.


BETROTHED.
THE moon, just rising over thepali, shed a
flood of light upon the youth's approaching
figure, as he came around the point of the cliff
which jutted out at the turn of the path close
by the house. On the lanai was the idol of
his soul. He thought she was watching for
his coming, for Pu' Aloha, hearing footsteps
and awaiting the return of Kelea, involuntarily
turned and was starting towards him.
With a cry of joy, for instantly she recognized his form, the eager girl hurried to meet
him. The two lovers clasped each other in an
ecstasy of delight and for a blissful season
were in that paradise where young love finds
mystic signs known only to the initiated.
For the first time in his life Hookama felt
the thrill of intense, abounding and complete
rapture, which comes but once yet remains an
unwasted memory for all time. Nothing he




BETROTHED.


327


had ever experienced could compare with the
supreme moment, in which, all uncertainty
vanished, he realized that Pu' Aloha's heart of
hearts was his. If, till this hour, the maiden
had been a goddess to be worshipped, a being
far above him to be enshrined only in his
heart, now, clasped in his arms and telling him
with her own lips that she loyed him with her
whole soul, she became still more adorable but
not so far off. He liked this better, and so
did she.
The moon hid its face behind a fleecy cloud,
and even the blind "mother," who came out
as unusual sounds reached her ears, was oblivious of the mysteries into which pagan souls,
as well as others, are guided by the god of
love, a deity unknown among their mythological divinities.
But when the silver orb soared above the
cloud like "a floating thought," the twain now
made one, followed along its luminous pathway, shining across the threshold of the house,
and having told the "mother" of their
betrothal, called on her to consummate the
customary usage. She threw over them the
marriage tapa; only a few formal words, and
Pu' Aloha and Hookama became husband
and wife, according to the approved manner
of Hawaiian chiefs.




328


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


The absence of Kelea was noticed both by
the "mother" and Pu' Aloha, but Hookama
allayed their apprehensions by pointing to the
sky, which had become wholly free from
clouds, and to the moon, which filled all things
with a radiance as bright as that within his
heart. The ceremonial, such as it was, found
its conclusion when Hookama partook of a
well-seasoned calabash of foi, which he much
needed after his long abstinence, and then in a
tangle of vines at the side of the house, he and
his bride screened themselves from the mists
arising from the valley.
There was so much to tell each other, to say
nothing of trifling interruptions between the
sentences, that the newly wedded pair might
have forgotten everything except their own
confidences had not suddenly the grotesque
body of the dwarf-giant intercepted the moonlight and created a most undesired diversion
of their thoughts.
Menehune was very demonstrative in grunts
and monosyllables over Hookama's return,
and Hookama was unusually profuse in
acknowledging his services to Pu' Aloha. The
dwarf, however, regarded the occasion in a
somewhat different light from that in which
the lovers saw it, and his actions corresponded
more with his point of view than with theirs.




BE TRO THED.


329


He squatted down in front of the couple, as
if impressed with the idea that a watchman
was needed to keep off intruders, and gazed
steadily at them, in silent endeavor to express
his unqualified approbation. He had witnessed a few of their love passages, as he came
around an angle of the rocks into the enchanted
circle, and evidently wanted to see more,
thinking, doubtless that nothing could be
more natural and in keeping with the important occasion.
The eyes of her favorite dog, or a wistful
look on its face, would not have disconcerted
a woman of Pu' Aloha's strength of mind
under similar conditions, even with Hookama's arm about her and her head nestling on
his shoulder. But somehow, Menehune's
interested look made her cheeks burn and her
eyes seek the ground.
The soul of Menehune was certainly expanding; his narrow, darkened mind was
catching some gleams of light, whether the
lovers cared to be the medium of the new
radiance or not. In fact, they were not just
then in an altruistic mood and inwardly resented the dwarf's sympathetic approval.
Their mutual caresses ceased and they began
to talk about the weather. "It is too damp
to stay longer out of doors." They also




330    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


shifted their relative positions and Hookama
adjusted the tapa mantle about Pu' Aloha's
shoulders.
The spell was broken. Menehune's face
gradually resumed its usual stolidity. His
mind wandered and his eyes stared into vacancy. He was less and less interested in taking observations. His head dropped forward
and he clasped it with his big hands. His ears
hung limp. It was not long before the falling
asleep of the squat figure at their feet was demonstrated to the amiable lovers by sounds so
utterly at variance with the music in their
hearts, and the dissonance jarred so much on
their ears, that, quietly and without waking
the sleeper, they went into an eclipse beyond
the jutting rock.
When Menehune came to himself, a little
later, and found himself alone, he stood up
straight, pulled his ears, looked inadvertently
at the moon and went into the house. If he
had been gifted with a tail he would not have
wagged it, and the pitiless lovers lost a golden
opportunity of enlarging still more both the
mental and the emotional horizon of their
most devoted follower.
It had been only by chance in her wanderings that Kelea, soon after leaving Hookama in
the summary way we have described, crossed




BETROTHED.


33I


the path of the dwarf-giant on his way to the
house on the cliff. She managed to give him
an idea of Paao's conspiracy and a description
of the cave, which he knew well, having often
explored the recesses of this lonely mountain
for purposes of his own in connection with the
house where his mother was living.
She made him understand that he must
warn Numuku or the king, the very next day.
She said she was going away on a visit for a
few days, and when he offered to go with and
guard her, she declared that she had no fear
and that he could be of greater use to Pu'
Aloha. The dwarf, whose intelligence in
matters of war and wood-craft was singularly
shrewd, comprehended the situation; and, delighted to know that his mistress needed him,
made no further offer of his services to Kelea,
but after a few grimaces and antics, in token of
his joy at the prospect of capturing the traitor,
strode off over crags and through the scrubby
bushes making a bee-line for home, where he
found Hookama as has been described.
The next day, he told the alii what Kelea
said about Paao and was cautioned to tell
nothing of it to the women, except that he had
met Kelea who would be absent a few days.
As for himself, Hookama was impatient to
learn more of the conspiracy. He must over



332     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


throw Paao's nefarious schemes, and he must
go to the king at once; Menehune might go
with him.
To Pu' Aloha he explained the situation as
a matter already known to him, and referred
casually to the fact that Menehune had met
the woman they called Kelea, and who said she
was going away for a few days. As he enlarged on Paao's treacherous actions, Pu' Aloha
gave him an account of the traitor's odious
proposals to her. This made the young man
furious. It helped him tear himself away from
his bride, and, followed by the dwarf, he took
his way down the mountain. He obtained
more information from Menehune and gave
the dwarf orders which made him of great service as a spy on the movements of Paao, during the next day.
When the king heard Hookama's story he
sent at once for Numuku. The old chief was
thunderstruck at the story of Paao's treachery.
At first he would not believe it; he said it was
one of Hookama's tricks. But after learning
all the the details he became convinced that
the conspiracy was imminent and dangerous.
The two chiefs arranged at once for an expedition to capture the conspirators. Menehune had discovered that a meeting would be
held the next afternoon by the rebels, in the




BE TRO TlHED.


333


cave. Numuku agreed to lead a dozen of his
warriors and Hookama selected the same
number from the king's bodyguard, among
them Maili, who knew the paths over the
mountain.
When this arrangement was completed,
Hookama, in presence of the king, told Numuku that he had found Pu' Aloha and that
she was now under his protection as his wife.
The old chief fumed and raged at this announcement and the two chiefs would have
come to blows then and there, had not the
king sternly commanded them to refrain, reminding them of the necessity of friendship
and prudence in the face of the conspiracy
which threatened the very existence of his
authority.
It was difficult to pacify Numuku, who
cared less for Pu' Aloha than for his pride as
the first chief in authority under the king.
However, when the king promised him still
greater privileges and said that thereafter
Hookama would be under his own immediate
command as a member of his bodyguard, the
chief grudgingly consented to waive the matter
in dispute and went off, after touching noses
with Hookama in token of more or less
amity.




CHAPTER XXXII.


HOOKAMA AND PAAO SETTLE A QUESTION.
HOOKAMA spent a restless night. In his
waking vigils, thoughts came to him which
aroused all the innate savagery of his nature.
He brooded in the darkness over Paao's treatment of Pu'Aloha till his soul was wrought
up to a high pitch of wrath. Hot passion
made it impossible to close his eyes. His
mind harbored the most fiendish means of torture. He would tear out his enemy's heart;
pluck out his eyes.
It was the young alii's first experience of
the passion of revenge. No object had presented itself before this time to call out this
feeling. In the heat of battle there was no
stimulus to excite this passion. He fought as
a warrior bred to arms; partly under the excitement of the conflict and in part to win renown. If he felt the rising to white heat of
his temper in actual conflict with a foe, it was




HOOKAMA AND PAAO SETTLE A QUESTION. 335


without any personal hatred in his heart.
He could see a vanquished enemy taken to the
heiau as a sacrifice to the gods, without the
least angry emotion, as he would have gone
himself.
Now, wrought up to a frenzy by his hate,
he looked on Paao as a monster to be throttled, a fiend on whom he would stamp and
over whose mutilated body he could dance
and sing. Under these new conditions, the
underlying proclivity of his savage nature to
revenge came uppermost.
During the morning, the warriors of Hookama's troops sauntered off one by one as if for
a stroll in Manoa valley, having been ordered
to meet near a waterfall at an appointed hour.
Their heavy spears had been sent to the rendezvous before daydawn with men to guard
them. Numuku and his band were to meet
them there in the afternoon.
To pass away the time, not caring much
whither he went, Hookama bent his steps
toward the heiau near Leahi (Diamond Head.)
It was a gloomy, walled enclosure of several
acres in extent. The walls of dark brown stone,
thick and high, were surmounted by hideous
idols of various shapes and many degrees of
ugliness. Over the entrance were the grinning
heads of victims who had been sacrificed.




336     KELEA: THIE SURF-RIDER.


Ordinarily, the young chief would have
passed by this forbidding structure with its
ghastly symbols, and perhaps have given it no
thought. Now, its dismal horrors met the
conditions of his irritated mind. He folded his
arms and surveyed the frightful array of heads
as if affording himself relief from his own reflections. They were tangible emblems of
what he would bring upon Paao. After sating
his passion with vowing the same fate to his
enemy, he retraced his steps, and, at the king's
house, ate his noonday meal without betraying any emotion. He had now a visible picture before his eyes of the end and aim of his
revenge. It gave him sufficient self-control to
allow him to narrate to the king, in a lively
and amusing manner, some of his adventures
with Lou, at the volcano on Hawaii.
No sooner, however, was he with his troops
of warriors on the mountain trail, than his
passionate mood returned more violently than
ever. The wild country teemed with suggestions of the evil things which Paao might have
brought upon Pu' Aloha. His hand clutched
his long, heavy spear, as he strode on In his
wrath before his men. He was even ready to
look on Numuku with favor, since he had become an ally in dealing out vengeance to the
far more execrable object of his resentment.




HOOKAMNA AND PAAO SETTLE A QUESTION. 337


When the two bands, under command of the
old chief, approached the cave where the conspirators had been in council, it was evident
that they were forewarned. Instead of scattering to their homes, they awaited, like brave
Hawaiian chiefs as they were, in battle array
the coming of their pursuers. All but one or
two were young men, yet, with the single exception of Paao, who counselled flight, the
fifteen nobles, conscious of no wrong in plotting to overthrow the weak government of the
king, determined to win or die. If they won,
it would be the first step toward ultimate victory.
An open space around the cave afforded
ample room for hand-to-hand encounters. A
barricade of stones had been hurriedly erected
and the conspirators were massed behind it.
A whoop and a yell gave the signal to the king's
warriors. The desperate rebels met the onset
with a shower of javelins and the points of
their long spears. Two of Numuku's band fell
to the earth. Orders had been given to secure
as many of the malcontents alive, as was possible. The king's warriors therefore made
strenuous efforts to disarm rather than slay
their foes.
They wrested the spears from their hands.
They clutched them around the body and held




338    KELEA: THE SURFRIDER.


up, by the wrist, hands that wielded the dagger
or the javelin. The ground became slippery
with the blood of the combatants. At the
close of the struggle eight of the conspirators
lay dead or mortally wounded on the sward
while six of the king's warriors never would
fight again. Two of the rebel chiefs escaped
but five were prisoners, more or less wounded,
and each was well bound with cords.
Hookama, early in the fight, singled out
Paao and rushed upon him furiously, uttering
the most exasperating taunts and carelessly
exposing himself to his adversary's thrusts.
Paao's blood was up, and seeing Hookama's
frenzy he hoped to win an easy victory. His
skill soon proved more than a match for the reckless fighting of his opponent, who was at last
forced back against the rocks near the cave's
mouth, where he was obliged to defend himself with his heavy stone-battle-axe from the
long dagger and javelins of Paao.
Menehune had been watching the combat
from a perch on the top of the cave. He was
not a trained fighter and carried no weapon,
but whenever he saw an advantage gained by
any conspirator, he jumped down and caught
the rebel by the legs, tripping him up. He
thereby contributed his share towards the
capture of a number of the enemy. The




HOOKAMA AND PAAO SETTLE A QUESTION. 339


crowning achievement of the dwarf was the
part he took in settling the question between
Hookama and Paao. The faithful fellow supposed that Hookama could take care of himself, but when he saw him hard pressed by
Paao, he felt called upon to interfere, even at
the risk of robbing his master of a share in the
glory of victory.
The two combatants were by themselves
near the entrance of the cave, with quite a
space between them and the other fighters.
Paao was lunging forward, with his javelin
aimed at the exposed breast of Hookama, who
stood against the rock. Before Paao could
thrust the weapon, Menehune ran and hit him
full in the back with his shoulder. The blow
sent him head foremost towards Hookama,
who caught Paao's head between his legs as he
plunged forward. Then, as Paao grasped
Hookama's legs which held him by the neck as
in a vise, Hookama fell on his knees and
pinned Paao under him to the ground. Before hehad time to do more, Menehune improvised a scourge from pieces of a broken
javelin, and, swinging it in his big right hand
while his left pressed down his victim by the
small of the back, he proceeded to belabor
the right and left flanks of the enemy, thus revenging himself on Paao for numerous affronts




340     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
in days gone by, and paying off old scores for
Pu' Aloha and Hookama.
Having thus satisfied his sense of what was
just and right under the circumstances, the
dwarf sat on the prostrate body while
Hookama twisted thongs around the legs and
arms of the crestfallen descendant of many
generations of the priestly line. The two men
then tumbled Paao into the cave, and Menehune stood guard at the entrance with Paao's
javelin in his hand, leaving Hookama free to
engage other warriors more worthy of his
prowess.
Two days after the capture of the conspirators by Numuku and Hookama, the inner
area of the heiau, near Leahi, was the scene
of unusual activity. Preparations were going
on for the sacrifice of the five conspiring
chiefs and Paao, who had been closely
guarded in prison, awaiting the decision of the
king and his counsellors. The priests made
a vain attempt to save Paao; two of them
had secretly despatched the messenger that
warned the alii at the cave on the mountain.
The high-priest, Kaopulupulu, claimed exemption from the king's jurisdiction for Paao, because of his priestly lineage.
But Kahahana was firm. "Down face " was




HOOKAMA AND PAAO SETTLE A QUESTION. 341


all the reply he gave to those who pleaded for
the traitor's life. In this, he was seconded by
Hookama, whose chagrin at Paao's advantage
over him, in their hand-to-hand fight at the
cave, only served to quicken his desire for
vengeance; he hoped that he might never see
his enemy's face again except as a sacrificial
victim. He had nursed the feeling of revenge
till it controlled him and drove out every other
thought from his mind. Numuku tried to
save Paao, but finally yielded to the king's
persistency and to the counsel of the royal
chiefs, who felt that an example must be
made to strike terror to disloyal hearts.
At twilight of the same day, the king gave
the signal for the prisoners to be led into
the heiau. They came with arms pinioned
and escorted by a guard. No warrior among
then showed signs of any fear of death. They
carried themselves majestically, as if marching
to a triumph.
After being placed in a row, in front of a
platform of smooth stones, on which their lifeless bodies were soon to be laid, they were
taken out one by one, to be despatched by
the priests. It was a sacred offering to the
gods.
Paao came last, wearing a look of bravado
and with a step which betokened a fearless




342    KELEA: TIE SURF-RIDER.


spirit. Hookama turned his head away, after
a hasty glance at his enemy, who returned
the look with an expression of the utmost
scorn.
Further details of the barbarous and bloody
rites, at the immolation of the five young
chiefs, need not be given. The sixth victim
was Paao. The ceremonies had been prolonged, by a pretended necessity on the part
of the priests to consult the oracles. The
tapers burned low in the hands of the attendants. In a dim and murky light befitting
the tragedy, two naked priests bore the body
of Paao to its place on the blood-stained platform and laid it with the other gory victims.
The horrid marks of slaughter were on the
face and shoulders. The king advanced
alone and looked on the man who had kindled
treason in his realm. No remorse for the
traitor's death was felt in his heart. The sentence was just. It was the will of the gods.
During the part of the ceremony which related to Paao, Hookama did not look towards
the altar, where the consummation of his
vengeance was accomplished. He was satisfied
because his foe was dead and would no more
"cross his shadow." Besides, did not Paao,
as the inciter to treason, richly deserve his
fate?




HOOKAMA AND PAAO SETTLE A QUESTION. 343


As the king and the chiefs passed from the
gloom of the heiau, (leaving the bodies of the
slain on the altar for the elements to deal with,
a little earth having been thrown upon them,)
suddenly there appeared showers of flashing
meteors in the sky. It was a grand spectacle
which some of the warriors interpreted as a
good omen. Numuku, with his usual grunt,
said to Hookama, who happened to be near,
"Another blunder of the king. Another
chance lost to conciliate the rebels. These
young chiefs ought to have been spared.
Now, many of the old aliis will rise. Get ready
for another outbreak, young man! See, the
sky is warning us! " and he pointed to a new
burst of stars.
But Hookama, who might have saved Paao,
had he chosen, stood in gloomy silence looking at the brilliant display, saying to himself, " These stupid warriors! What do they
know about omens? I've seen the sky like
this a dozen times and nothing happened.
Pele made a great fuss at the volcano, but
nothing came of it. Those hypocrites, the
priests, make the gods and give the omens.
These dull chiefs are gulled; I'd rather have
my bowlegged guide Lou, than a score of
them; I hate the priests. They tried to get
Paao off, the scoundrel! They are at the




344     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
bottom of this conspiracy too. If I were
king-."   He checked himself, as if the
thought were an ignoble one, and the image of
his friend, the king, prevented any further ambitious dreams.
" I only wish he had a little more sense,
with all his amiability," was the thought that
concluded Hookama's soliloquy, as he found
himself alone under the suddenly darkened
sky.




CHAPTER XXXIII.


AN APPARITION.
THE king of Oahu found that he had stirred
up rather than put out the spirit of rebellion
by his summary execution of the captured rebels. He therefore determined to crush the
insubordinate chiefs before they wholly undermined his authority. He could rely on a large
part of the warriors that had followed him to
Maui, and had fought with him at Wailuku.
An expedition was forthwith planned against
several of the disaffected aliis, beyond the pass,
which guarded thepali at the end of Nuuanu
Valley about six miles from the royal house at
Waikiki.
The king also despatched a messenger, secretly, to the king of Maul, the treacherous Kahekili, asking again for reinforcements; a procedure about which he did not consult his loyal
chiefs, not even Numuku or Hookama.




346     ELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Taking the field with his army and leaving a
small contingent at Waikiki, to guard against
a hostile approach by sea, he made his headquarters at thepall, where the valley abruptly
terminates in a precipice falling sheer down a
thousand feet; a steep, rough path on the
eastern side being the only passage to the
plains where the insurrection had broken out.
This location of the royal army's base at the
pali gave Hookama, who was captain of the
king's bodyguard, many opportunities, in the
intervals of forays against the rebels, to visit
the house on the cliff. It was a hard climb up
from the pass to the house, but this meant
very little to the ardent young husband.
Nowhere on the island of Oahu do the
showers clothe the mountain slopes with
greener verdure and more luxuriant growths
than in this region of the wonderfulpali. The
water-falls are fed from the mountain peaks
and sunclouds float gently away, " tears of the
trade-winds," to dissipate themselves in cooling mists.
Pu' Aloha, now that she no longer feared
pursuit either from Numuku or Paao, was free
to enjoy the marvellous eastward view of the
sea, from the heights above the house on the
cliff. She wandered, at her own sweet will,
among the picturesque dells that beautified the




AN APPARITION.


347


upper ridges, although she never strayed far
from the house. These little hill-valleys were
all the more attractive, lying as they did between rocky walls and impenetrable thickets.
Hookama had built a small grass house for
his bride and himself near the house of the
" mother," and although Pu' Aloha missed the
companionship of Kelea and longed for her return, she found abundant and agreeable occupation in simple household cares and in gathering ilima blossoms with which to adorn herself
to please her lord when he climbed to her
bower. If ever savage lovers enjoyed an idyllic
honeymoon under most favorable conditions,
it was beneath the spangled heavens and on
that fragrant mountain's breast, where eternal
summer dwelt and no conventionalities marred
the golden hours.
Love was still hovering with its earliest and
sweetest charms over the happy pair, when one
day Hookama announced a distant expedition
which would occupy at least a week, against
an insurgent chief who had entrenched himself at Punaluu, on the northeastern coast. He
cautioned Pu' Aloha not to extend her wanderings far from the cliff, because lawless bands
were prowling about and desperadoes were
hiding in the mountains. He promised to
send Maili, who was in his band, to assure her




348     KELEA: TIE SURF-RIDER.


of his safety, as soon as the chief of the Punaluu district was subdued.
When Kelea disappeared after Hookama's
rescue of her from the ledge and her violent
denunciation of his rejection of her passion,
she started with a vague purpose of throwing
herself on the king's protection at the royal
house. The information she could give of the
conspirators' cave would make her welcome.
Had she not met Menehune and sent by him
the warning to the king she would have
carried out her intention.
But, with that burden off her mind, her
courage gave out when halfway down the
mountain, and, remembering the secluded
house of a native, who, with his wife, lived
back of a spur of the hills, above Manoa
Valley, she went there and claimed hospitality.
This was a claim that no Hawaiian, however
poor, ever refused. In this case, the astonished peasants gladly welcomed the queenly
woman who promised to pay them liberally
for secrecy and entertainment.
They gave her the whole of their rude grass
hut, which they cleaned up for her use, and
made for themselves a shelter of boughs not
far away.
Kelea spent the first night in this seques



AN APPARITION.


349


tered spot in alternate fits of hysterical weeping
and passionate anger. She thought she hated
Hookama, as she had told him, but her new
feeling of intense jealousy toward Pu' Aloha
proved the contrary. It was the lovely, artless girl who had been her closest friend, that
now became the object of her strange, unjust
and unreasoning aversion. She recoiled from
no vindictive suggestion of the evil spirit that
possessed her.
Every lovely trait in Pu' Aloha that had
attracted her-her artlessness, her confiding
nature, her loving ways-seemed but so many
artifices to win away her lover. Even her confession of her passion for Hookama was an exhibition of her selfishness. Kelea's vengeful
feeling drove her hither and thither, from scorn
to pitiless wrath. For days the changed girl
gratified her envy and hatred by plotting
ways and means to outwit her rival. She
even went so far as to visit a Kehuna to learn
if it were possible to pray her enemy, as she
now conceived her, to death. This was a last
resort and sometimes proved effective, the
victim yielding to his fate when he learned
that he was singled out by the sorcerer.
Carried away by her jealousy, this surfrider of Maui in her frenzy would go after
dark to the shore and, swimming the breakers,




350     KELEA: tHR SURP-RIDER.


imitate the action in pantomime of smothering
her victim in the surge. She obtained the
powder of a poisonous herb and carried it
with her. Her distorted imagination caused
the gentle being, against whom her frenzy
arrayed her, to appear in her dreams as supplicating for pardon which the relentless avenger
would not grant.
Kelea rambled over the hills, half bereft of
reason; she ventured to the heights over the
house on the cliff and, hiding herself, watched
for Pu' Aloha to come forth, that she might
even take her life. At lucid intervals she tried
to dispossess herself of this mania, since somehow she shrank from this extremity of active
vengeance.
When she thought of Hookama's joy in the
elysium of Pu' Aloha's smiles, she recalled the
days she had spent with him in the vale of
lao and, though many of his words rankled in
her memory, she repeated them over and over,
as one might press sharp thorns into the flesh
to quicken morbid sensibilites. She treasured
the ivory dagger, with its poisoned point, as
a souvenir which suggested death as a last resort, if all her hopes should finally be lost.
A few days after Hookama's departure,
Pu' Aloha climbed the path behind the cliff,




AN APPARITION.


35t


to a spot a short distance away, from which
she could see the promontory of Kualoa,
beyond which lay the district where Hookama
was fighting in the army of the king. It was
her habit to visit this place, where she
dreamed of her husband and tried to imagine
his feats of valor.
On this occasion, she did not rest her eyes
exclusively on the landscape, which stretched
like an enchanted realm from the emerald sea
to the lofty, buttressed hills, clad to their tops
in luxuriant foliage. With a far-off, dreamy
gaze she was looking at a little fleecy cloud,
beyond the extreme point of the marvellous
scene, thinking that perhaps it hung over the
very spot where her lord might be resting
after a day's hard struggle. She watched the
shadows as they wrapped a portion of the
loveiy landscape in gloom, and was wholly
absorbed in pleasing meditation, so that the
approach of a stranger, coming towards her
from behind, was unobserved. It was a man,
who had passed around a heap of rocks at her
back and now stood in the deepening dusk of
the twilight looking down upon her and apparently waiting for her to turn her head
towards him. As she did not turn, he came
forward.
Startled at hearing the footsteps of a




352


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


stranger, Pu' Aloha sprang to her feet, and,
turning towards him, saw, to her amazement
and horror, what seemed to be an apparition
from the dead. Without a word, for her
tongue was paralyzed, she arose to flee by the
path, when the figure darted forward and
caught her about the waist, not roughly but
firmly, and in answer to the frightened expression on her face, said in gentle tones: " Yes,
Pu' Aloha, I am-Paao! By no means dead;
but more alive than ever. The gods will that
you shall yet be mine."
He said no more: it was useless to speak
further; he held a lifeless form in his arms,
which he laid on the matted grass. Then,
rushing to a hollow rock near by, containing
water, he scooped it in his hands and came
again where the girl lay pale and motionless
on the ground. He had placed her there
most tenderly, for he meant to do her no
harm. But the motion of his hands and arms,
dashing the water in her face, was as if he were
smiting the prostrate girl.
His body was bent over her, with his back
towards the pile of rocks, when a slight noise
behind him caused him to turn his head halfway over his shoulder. Before he could see
clearly whence the sound came, or straighten
himself up, a strong hand seized him by the




AIVAPPARITION.


353


neck and a sharp dagger was thrust with fearful force into his side.
Blood gushed in streams from the wound.
He fell or was pushed over on his side, as
Kelea, for it was she, quickly lifted Pu' Aloha, who, with half recovered consciousness,
opened her eyes upon the ghastly sight.
There lay Paao on the ground, weltering in
his blood, the dagger still in the wound.
With life fast ebbing, the dying man, by
a great effort, raised himself a little and
turned his glazing eyes, first on Kelea with a
look of utter astonishment (for he had not
known of her presence on the island), then
on Pu' Aloha, who covered her face with her
tapa, while he tried to gasp a few words:
"Ah, Flower of Love! I go to the gods,
hated by you whom I have loved-yes-as
my own soul-loved-I meant no harm "-and
as his eyes fell on Kelea, he muttered, " Murderess!"
Then, pulling out from his side the dagger
which he knew was poisoned, he made one
more attempt to speak, and said: " I meant
that," feebly lifting the weapon in his hand,
" for the butcher-assassin-may the gods-"
but he could only whisper the word "Hookama," as he fell back dead, with a look of intense contempt on his face which the last




354      AKSEA: T1EZf SURF-RIDER.


agonies of death did not remove. He was
gone, but his dying words called for no pity.
The dead face awakened no regret for his
fate.
Kelea's strength almost failed her, but she
was able to lift Pu' Aloha, who was overcome
by the tragic scene and too weak to rise.
With great effort she carried the terrified and
helpless girl to a mossy bank away from the
ghastly spot, and tired to calm her by soothing words, although she herself was distracted
by contending emotions, now that the deed
was done.
She had set out that day from her temporary
home near Manoa Valley with the terrible design to confront Pu' Aloha, whose habit of
coming to her favorite lookout she had discovered after many days of espionage. If her
rival refused to surrender her lover, for Kelea
did not know of their marriage, she cared not
what happened; but an evil voice in her heart
cried, " Kill her! " and she might not have been
able to resist it. She was impelled along this
course of action, whatever the result.
Coming stealthily in sight of the spot where
she expected to behold the rapt face of the
girl, looking expectantly and longingly towards
Kualoa, as she had seen it on two previous
days from her place of concealment, to her




AN APPARITION.


355


amazement she saw a man hanging over the
prostrate body of her rival as if he had slain
her.
The sight of the apparently lifeless form of
one who had been so dear to her wrought an
instantaneous change in her over-charged
mind. The dead girl could no longer stand in
her way. That was her first thought. Then
followed the old feeling of endearment. To
punish the murderer she rushed upon him and
struck the fatal blow, not knowing, till the
stroke was given, that the supposed assailant
was her old enemy Paao.
With the warm body of Pu' Aloha in her
arms all her love came back. As the rescued
girl called her " dear " and " my own Kelea,"
she could not repress tears of gratitude that
she was safe. But near by lay the dead Paao.
What was now to be done? His own dagger
in his hand, and his death-wound on the left
side made suicide the natural theory if his
body were found. Besides, was he not supposed to be sacrificed in the Aeiau? How did
he appear alive after his body had been laid on
the altar?
The poor girl in her arms could give Kelea
no advice; she could not even tell her yet the
circumstances attending the assault upon her of
Paao, if assault it was. Kelea's quick wit seized




356     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


at once upon the idea that if Paao were considered by the world as a dead man, why not
bury him, and so blot out his memory forever?
But who will undertake the task? She cannot do it. Her heart revolted at the thought
of ever looking on that hateful face again.
All her questionings and plans were put to
flight, when her ear caught the sound of
hurried steps, climbing over the rocks. The
heads, and soon the stalwart shoulders, of Maili
and Menehune appeared behind a slight ridge
which separated from the path the spot where
the two girls were sitting. If Kelea allowed
them to go on and find the body of Paao, she
and Pu' Aloha might slip down to the house
unobserved. Then the evidence of suicide
would shield them from all suspicion. She
must decide at once; but with her usual quickness, she determined to call them and tell them
the whole story.
The men listened in utter astonishment and
remained as if paralyzed at the end of the recital. Kelea bade them go and see for themselves. They hesitated, and it required all
her persuasiveness to induce them to approach
the man who had been twice killed. He
might be alive again, for all they knew to the
contrary.
At last, having seen and been convinced,




AN APPARITION.


357


they returned, and Kelea, swearing them to
secrecy by all the gods, induced them to carry
the body to the bottom of a lonely ravine,
through which a circuitous stream ran with
abundant water; there they would find a deep
pool, in which to sink their burden, weighted
with stones. Then they must roll all the
loose rocks they could handle into the pool
and let the traitor find his way as best he could
to the hidden land of Kane.
Maili told Pu' Aloha that Hookama had
sent him with the message that a battle, favorable in its result to the king, had been fought
and that he would be at the house on the
cliff the next day. "Then be in haste," said
Kelea to the two men; for with an instinctive
desire to save Hookama's feelings, she wanted
to relieve him forever from the sight of his
hated foe.
The men found the dark pool, underneath a
shelving rock. It was almost stagnant and a
green scum had settled on its surface. In the
dim light, they flung the body in, then dropped
into the circling ripples the largest stones
they could move, and, having finished their
disagreeable task, the two nervous functionaries lost no time in climbing out of the gulch
into the more wholesome air of the heights.
" Say, comrade," asked Maili of Menehune,




358


KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


" if Paao cheated the gods in the heiau, will
they let him into Milu?"
" He'll have to 'swim round the cliff' * if
they do;" grunted the dwarf in his usual
laconic style."
" Or find a new 'gap in the ridge downwards,'" * added Maili, as he thought of the
stones they had tumbled into the pool. "I
wish I had kept that dagger," he murmured
to himself. " Perhaps the rascal will fight his
way out again. I wonder how many lives he's
got."
It was discovered, a long time after Paao's
final disappearance, that he escaped from the
heiau by the connivance of the priests, who
smeared his face and shoulders with blood instead of slaying him, and handed the eye of a
large hog to the king, instead of the left eye
of the supposed victim. Then, after the departure of the chiefs, they put another body
in Paao's place on the platform and covered
the six corpses with loose earth. There was
no careful scrutiny after the execution of victims and few entered the heiau for many days,
so foul were the odors.
Paao was advised by the insurgent chiefs,
whom he joined the morning after his escape,
to remain in hiding for the present, lest his
* Hawaiian expressions.




AN APPARITION.


359


appearance in the rebel army should bring the
priests under suspicion. He was roaming
over the mountain, when he chanced to discover Pu' Aloha, and his passion for her
brought him to a tragic end. The tarn into
which his body was thrown is calledpepo-loko
(black pool) to this day.
When Maili and Menehune returned to the
place, where Kelea was trying to arouse Pu'
Aloha from her prostration, they found the
latter in a state bordering on hysteria. And
even Kelea's strong nerves were giving way,
but the change from her period of jealous
frenzy to her old affection for Pu' Alcha
buoyed her up.
Maili attributed Pu' Aloha's condition to
the ghost of Paao, which he believed still
hovered near, according to the current superstition of the Hawaiians. He imagined that
he heard the peculiar sound (muki), which a
ghost produced, till after a time it ceased
altogether. He had recognized in Kelea the
woman who gave him the shells on the island
of Maui, and his admiration for her robust
beauty made him her willing servant. Menehune, however, hardly realized the gravity of
the situation. His eyes twinkled as he chuckled to himself and thought of the dark pool.
But night was approaching, and at Kelea's




360     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
bidding Menehune took Pu' Aloha in his arms
and carried her to her house. Kelea hesitated
a moment but soon followed, with Maili, and
it was not long before she and Pu' Aloha
sought relief in each other's arms on the same
couch.




CHAPTER XXXIV.


HOOKAMA DISCOVERS HIS ANCESTORS.
THE next morning, Pu' Aloha, prostrated
by the tragic events of the previous day, could
hardly lift her head. Kelea, suffering more in
mind than body, was glad of the necessity of
silence, since it relieved her from unpleasant
questions. She noticed the signs in Pu' Aloha's new home of her changed relations with
Hookama, but was able to suppress all jealous
emotions. She determined, however, not to
meet them together lest the old feelings
should return.
Maili, who announced that Hookama would
arrive early in the afternoon told the young
women, who were lying on soft mats in the
lanai, that there had been a fight near Punaluu,
in which the rebels were defeated.
They paid little attention to his account
of the battle, but when he narrated Hook



362    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


ama's part in it, both the girls sat up and
listened with eagerness. He said the young
alii had shown the greatest bravery. Towards the end of a bloody skirmish, the king,
advancing at the head of his bodyguard, threw
himself upon a band of warriors entrenched in
a defile. The assault was furious but the defence was equally desperate. The king was in
the midst of the foemen, swinging his powerful battle-axe, when a chief sprang forward
and made a thrust with a spear which would
have put an end to the king's career, had not
Hookama parried the blow, receiving a severe
flesh wound in his left arm. At the mention
of the wound Pu' Aloha turned pale as death,
but recovered when Maili assured her that it
was a more painful than dangerous one.
Continuing, the warrior said that the alii,
with his right hand, killed the assailant with
a dagger and then led the attack which put
the enemy to flight. An armistice had been
agreed upon when Maili left the camp, and he
thought there would be no more trouble with
the rebels after such a defeat as they had met.
Pu' Aloha rallied a little, as she thought of
the prowess of her lord, but she was too languid to notice the expression of Kelea's countenance which would have revealed to a more
suspicious and more alert mind at least some




HOOKAMA DISCO VERS HIS ANCESTORS. 363


hint of ardent tenderness and admiration for
the hero.
Kelea watched the face of Pu' Aloha and
was surprised at herself that all her own
jealousy had disappeared. The younger girl's
look was so ingenuous and she gave her every
now and then such affectionate glances that
Kelea's only wonder was that she had ever
harbored any thought of her insincerity.
Once when Pu' Aloha threw her arms around
her friend and said: " My darling, I owe my
life to you; I only wish you could be as
happy as I am with my lord," Kelea's emotions so overcame her that Pu' Aloha again
embraced her, exclaiming, "But you shall
have nothing save aloha from me as long as
you live, and I will make Hookama love you
too."  Kelea buried her face in the bosom
of the affectionate girl and vowed to herself
that she should never know what had passed
between her and the man whose whole heart
her friend most certainly possessed.
"Believe me," continued Pu' Aloha, " I only
wish two women could drink at the same
fountain-but in such matters you know this
is impossible." Kelea knew this too well, and
from any other lips the words would have been
like a stab in her heart. But she found, as the
sun approached the zenith, that she could not




364     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


meet Hookama in her present state of mind.
Therefore excusing her hasty departure to Pu'
Aloha, by saying that she had left an important
matter to be attended to at a friend's where she
had been visiting, she slipped away to the hut
over Manoa Valley; and she went none too
soon, for passing beyond a place where two
paths met, she saw Hookama going up and
barely escaped his notice.
Great was Pu'Aloha's joy when her lord
appeared. He was clad in magnificent array.
A superb yellow cloak of priceless feathers
reached to his knees; on his head was a lofty
scarlet helmet; he held in his hand a richly
carved spear and a dazzling malo was wound
about his loins. He approached in very grand
style, carrying himself majestically, but having a quizzical look on his face, as if to say:
"Look at me! Did you ever see such a fine
sight?" Pu' Aloha, weak as she was, started to
meet him, only to be met by the point of his
spear, levelled at her bosom.
" Keep off," he cried, as if in mockery, but,
seeing her pallor, he threw back his cloak and
showed his bandaged arm and other marks of
wounds on his breast.
She came close to him full of sympathy and
as he bent down she put her cheek to his and
clung to him, partly for support and partly




IZOOKAMA DISCOVERS HIS ANCESTORS. 365


because of her anxiety on account of his
wounds. With his unwounded arm about her,
he replied to her tender inquiries, " Scratches,
only skin-deep. How could I have marched
all day, if they amounted to anything more?
But, dear one why so pale? Surely you are
ill. What has befallen you? What has
happened?  You do not look like yourself.
Tell me! you are as white as a sea-bird."
She led Hookama to a grassy mound and
gave him a brief account of the tragedy of the
preceding day, dwelling in glowing words on
the defence of her honor by Kelea and the
death of Paao at her hand. He tried to rise
when she came to the point where Paao called
Kelea " murderess " and Hookama an "assassin;" but she detained him and nestled closer
to his side, as he contented himself with heaping imprecations on the traitor and uttering
words of praise for the brave girl who had
saved his darling's life, as he supposed.
Pu' Aloha's heart beat with emotion as he
warmly commended Kelea's courage, and the
excitement kept the maiden for a time from
sinking back into the languor which had oppressed her. Hookama saw that she was becoming exhausted; pleading, therefore, his
own weariness from the long march, he drew
her towards the house and made her recline




366     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


on the mats, saying that he too had a tale to
tell that would cheer her up.
Laying aside his helmet and cloak, he told
her that they were the trophies which he had
taken from a rebel chief whom he had slain in
battle. "A regular alii-kapu (sacred chief,)"
he declared.
" Don't think for a moment," he continued
in a bantering tone, " that I have worn that
bushy wig all day in the hot sun. Oh no!
but my troop, that came with me and are gone
down to the camp at Waikiki, insisted on my
appearing before my ' aloha' in a style befitting my new rank. Wouldn't you like to know
what it is, and what my new name is? Foolish
girl! you would like to see me a real alii-kapu,
wouldn't you? Well, lean on me and I will
tell you something that will drive away all
thoughts of the horrid day you have had."
Then, to cheer her up, he told her a surprising story, which seemed more like a dream
than a reality. He spoke rather facetiously and
made fun of the whole thing, so that, had it
not been for the trophies, the helmet, spear,
cloak and a rich ivory hook, worn only by the
highest chiefs and which Pu' Aloha discovered
hanging to his neck, she would not have believed a word he said.
" Well, you see," he began, squeezing Pu'




HOOKAMA DISCO VERS HIS ANCESTORS. 367
Aloha's hand in his own, "you, sweetheart,
have always made me think that I am an uncommon personage. Then, that old, wizened,
dried-up specimen of a king at Hawaii told me
that I was the 'son of a god.' The hag at the
volcano, priestess of Pele, fell down at my
feet and worshipped me, followed by Lou, the
apostate, who never before worshipped anything but his own paunch. After all that, and
even from our first acquaintance, our king
intimated to me several times, that I was the
limb of a big tree, (on which I suppose many
of my ancestors were hung by the heels); and
he as much as told me that the natives would
want my bones to make fish-hooks and spearheads, after I was dead, as you know they
make them for luck from the relics of high
chiefs.
"Then, think of his telling me in a private
talk one day, that if I had my rights I would
own a whole island; (I supposed he meant
Molokini, that nasty little rock, off Maui).
Another time, (I thought he was losing his
mind), he wanted to change ma/os with me,
which you know means a great mark of
esteem. Once again when we were talking of
the Kiha Pu, the magic shell which could call
up the genii, he said, 'Why don't you blow
it?' I replied, ' Why don't you?' to which
he answered 'I cannot, though you can.




368     KELEA; THE SURF-RIDER.


" But the queerest thing of all was the day
before yesterday. After I had got this cut on
my arm,-it twinges now,-the king took me
to his hale, the best one at Punaluu, once
the home of the chief whose sacred helmet
you have just touched with profane hands,
and whose spirit I sent to Milu along with
several other noble rebels.
" When we were comfortably settled on the
luxurious dead chief's best mats, what did
Kahahana do but call in an old, grisly kilo
(prophet or bard,) who wanted to chant a
mele; I supposed to help us go to sleep after
the fighting of the day. I said, ' If he wants
to chant, let him chant!' and so he began in
a droning, monotonous way; soon he got
excited and screamed so loud that I couldn't
sleep if I wanted to. Then he wound up,
after a long list of names, which bored me to
listen to, with a perfect screech as he called
out ' Hookamalii,' and rushed up to me, flinging himself down and kissing my feet.
"I had half a mind to kick the fellow, but he
was an old man and my feet were bare, so I
turned to the king and said, 'My alii, what's
this man doing and what does he want, anyway?' To my surprise the king replied, ' He
has been singing your mele (pedigree;) didn't
you understand it? He says the gods sent




HOOKAMA DISCOVERS HIS ANCESTORS. 369


him to another old bard on Kauai who taught
him this mele, and he has been searching for
you, all over the group.' ' Then he lies,' I said
to the king. ' Yes, he does, in part, for I found
your mele (pedigree) with the inoa (symbol of
rank); and why he claims to have discovered it
let him answer.'
"The miserable kilo confessed that he did
not find it as described, but declared that bards
always pretended to find such things, and, at all
events, the pedigree was true. Then I asked
him to chant it again and let me learn it. Perhaps there was something in it my zvahine
(wife) would like to hear.
" He was very ready to go over the whole
thing again, and this time I listened. It began:
" 'He eleele kii na Mfaui,
Kii aku ia Kane ma.' *
but I'll not bother you with it all. The gist of
it was that many generations ago, there came
to the island of Kauai a big chief, Moikeha.
Well, this big fellow was the earliest ancestor of whom anything is known, of a birdcatcher called Hookama."
Hookama drew Pu' Aloha nearer to him
with his right arm and went on with his story.
*A messenger sent by Maui, to bring,
To bring Kane and his company.




370     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


" Now, I'll tell you a bigger ' brownie' tale
than that. This famous chief had three sons
and one foster son. The eldest son's name
was Hookamalii! That is where my name
came from, so said the king, and I am not an
'adopted' at all. I am Hookamalii! That's
my real name and I am the last lineal descendant of old Moikeha and the rightful heir to
half the island of Kauai.
"Tumble down now, all ye natives, and
make obeisance to my conspicuous figure!
Put my helmet on that rock yonder and salute
it! His moiship feels too stiff to be getting
up to be worshipped just now."
Hookama gave Pu' Aloha a squeeze as he
proceeded. ' And did not the great granddaughter of Hookamalii, any progenitor, the
beautiful Maele, start the Kalona line on Oahu,
by giving her husband another of my respected
ancestors,-whom may the gods preserve!
-and allow me in a similar fashion to see my
honored line continued!"
"Why are you not king of Kauai, then?"
asked Pu' Aloha, with a sly glance at Hookama.
" Didn't I say, you ambitious woman, that
you would be content with nothing short of
royalty? But you cannot be gratified this
time, for the second son of old Moikeha be



TH'i  Ili POL  IOIiKAV NA








HOOKAMA DISCOVERS HIS ANCESTORS. 371......_....
came king of Kauai somehow, and the moiship
has descended in that line to this day.
Isn't it enough to own half an island, without
the bother of a throne? Look at Kahahana!
who would want to be in his place?"
Pu' Aloha's eyes glistened as Hookama
clasped her to his breast and said, "But you
are my Love-Queen any way, and what more
do you want. King or no king, I warn all
persons not to invade your kingdom in my
heart-and-" (playfully) " I warn you, too, if
you do not pay due respect to my magnificence, I'll-but who is that? "
Both called out in the same breath. "It's
Kelea!" as, at that moment, the girl came,
in breathless haste, around the point of the
ledge and, with somewhat of confusion in her
manner, which Pu' Aloha attributed to her
hurried climb up the mountain, gave Hookama the startling news that a fleet of canoes
was between Koko Head and Leahi apparently
steering with all speed to Waikiki.
"They are warriors, and the chief at the
royal house says they are rebels. They yell
as if coming to attack, and the chief wants you
to make all haste and take command. Your
troop wants you and there are only fifty warriors at the camp. The canoes are full; at
least a hundred men. I met the messenger




372     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


and ran ahead of him, thinking Pu' Aloha
might want me to stay with her while you
were gone," and Kelea sank down exhausted,
with her eyes on the ground.
Hookama advanced towards her and took
both her hands. The girl blushed deeply
when he praised her for her rescue of Pu'
Aloha, and thanked her for coming with the
news of the fleet. Before he finished speaking
the messenger appeared and corroborated
Kelea's message, also relieving her from her
confusion and the necessity of replying to
Hookama's kind words; for instantly Pu'
Aloha, with the spirit of a heroine, rose up and
exclaimed, addressing her lord, "Go, go at
once! A warrior can use his spear with one
hand free. It tears out my heart, Alii-nui,
but the gods will give you the victory."
The poor child nearly fell while uttering
these brave words, but, clinging to Hookama,
she added: " What is your half of an island,
if you cannot defend a whole one with fifty
men against a hundred rebels! But promise
me to take care of yourself," (the woman's instinct got the better of her courage for a moment). "The spears of rebels are long, and
they have two hands to wield them. Only
promise me this, and go."
" I promise," said the alii, as he clasped her




HOOKAMA DISCOVERS HIS ANCESTORS. 373
to his heart, and calling for food and a gourd
of awa for the messenger, he forgot his own
need till Kelea brought him a portion also..
As she handed it to him she said in a low
voice, "Thank you for all your kind words.
My life for yours if needed. Let the messenger carry your spear and cloak."
The last words were spoken in a louder tone
and the man took the weapon and garment,
giving a look of admiration at the handsome
woman as he exclaimed: "I too will guard
the alii with my life." He had overheard her
whispered words, and was rewarded for his
loyalty with Kelea's most grateful look.




CHAPTER XXXV.


SURF-RIDING AT ITS CULMINATION.
No sooner were Hookama and the messenger out of sight than Pu' Aloha, having already coaxed her languid pulses to their utmost limit, fell face downward into the springing grass, murmuring in an agony, " He must
not die; he must not die! " She shed no tears,
but a shiver ran through her frame as Kelea
and the "mother " tenderly lifted and carried
her into the house.
They rubbed her limbs gently and bathed
her forehead, but it seemed almost as if she
were slipping away from them into the darkness. Incoherent utterances came feebly from
her lips. "My love! my alii! I flung him off
-wounded. Oh! the black tapa; Aohe!
aohe!" and the poor child tried to rise from
her couch, grasping at something with her
hands, but only clutching the air.




SURF-RIDING A T ITS CULMINA TION.  375


Applying every known restorative, the women, piteously weeping, saw a mystic beauty
all at once stealing over the sufferer's face, as
she opened her eyes and noticed them bending over her. For the first time since Hookama's departure, breathing naturally, she
reached out her arms and drew Kelea close to
her, saying in a most rational voice, "Dear!
you must go and watch over him; I have had
a vision. A shower of javelins like rain, but
you hid him in a cloud. Give me only one
clasp of your strong arms, that I may feel
your strength. If I only were able!-but you
can do it. Don't wait. The 'mother' will
care for me. I am better now." Seeing hesitation on Kelea's face, she added, " If you do
not go, I must. I cannot stay, after the
dream! You or I-now, dear! "
The mutual embrace was given and Kelea,
who had longed to go before Pu' Aloha spoke
of it, hurried away, after a loving look and
the cheery words, "I'll bring the color to
your cheek, darling, when I bring back your
Hookama."
From a high rock in the Manoa Valley
Kelea saw a sight that would causea less
courageous woman to tremble with fear,
but careless of self, she studied the situation.
Behind a parapet of loose stones in front of




376     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


the royal house, two score of warriors stood
at bay; on the right was a large fish pond
protecting that side; on the left, a thick
undergrowth.
The conflict was raging at the wall; the
assailing warriors were leaping upon it only
to disappear, falling inside or flung back by
the defenders. Some bodies, wounded or
dead, were lying within the barricade and a
larger number were stretched outside on the
ground. There were desperate rushes from
without and fierce resistance from within.
Kelea saw one man, standing in the rear of
the defenders, as if directing their movements.
He was the only warrior wearing a helmet,
and a scarlet coat was wound about one of his
arms. Every now and then he advanced and
hurled a javelin, as a foeman tried to scale
the wall. When, by numbers, the enemy
gained an apparent advantage, this chief,
whom Kelea at once recognized as Hookama,
was in the thickest of the fight.
Kelea's first impulse was to rush towards
the combatants and do what she could to
shield Hookama, remembering Pu' Aloha's
words. But she saw no women there and
shrank from the conspicuous position of a
solitary woman among the warriors.
Again her eye ranged over the whole scene,




SURF-RIDING A T ITS CULMINA TION.  377


taking a bird's-eye view of land and sea.
The royal house, the struggle in front of it,
the dry plain to the beach, a line of tall cocoapalms along the shore, the white beach with
the canoes of the rebels drawn up on the sand.
Beyond, the huge rollers, the surf, the impassable reef and the quiet, blue ocean, stretching to the horizon. All this was taken in
at a glance; but as her eye passed towards
the east, her keen vision caught sight of a
canoe, rounding the point of Leahi jutting into
the sea. Then more canoes came in sight.
The paddlers were urging their boats onward with rapid strokes, as if to reach the one
opening through the reef, opposite Waikiki.
Were they friends or foes? She saw that the
combatants at the royal house had become
aware of the new-comers.  There was a lull
in the fighting, as both assailants and defenders looked towards the flotilla in the
offing. They all appeared to be in doubt as
to its character. If a reinforcement to the
rebels, the case of Hookama and his band was
not only desperate but hopeless. If it meant
aid for the defenders, the defeat of the rebels
was sure.
Suddenly there was a movement on the
part of the rebels. A score of them rushed
to the fish pond on the right, shouting and




378     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


plunging into the water. It was a flank
movement, a final coup, either in sheer desperation or in confidence of a victory because
of help near at hand.
Kelea gazed steadily at the fleet, which
rapidly skirted the reef in the open sea. To
her great joy, she recognized the peculiar
shaped canoes and the streamers of Maui, her
own island; Kahekili, the king of Maui, had
for once kept his promise and sent a hundred
warriors. Hope inspired the maiden's breast;
Hookama might yet be saved, if he and his
band could hold out.
She started to go towards the scene of conflict. Possibly she might shield the young alii
in the last deadly struggle. She heard the
rebel warriors yell, as one after another gained
the bank of the fish pond next the royal enclosure. Some of the defenders were rushing
to meet them, leaving thinned ranks behind the
barricade.
But a shout from the shore, raised by the
few men in charge of the rebel canoes, came
clearly to her ears. They were calling to their
comrades to flee. They had discovered that
the new arrival meant their own destruction.
The friendly fleet, however, paddled very
slowly, until at length it stopped. Then it
turned back. Obviously there was some cause




SURF-RIDING A T ITS CULMINA TION.  379


for this doubling on its course. Kelea, accustomed to watch the movements of canoes at
Waihee, her home, knew that the warriors in
the canoes were looking for the passage through
the rolling breakers. They were evidently in
doubt as to the entrance, never before having
visited these shores.
Her joy was turned into an agony of fear.
Would they be balked, just on the eve of saving Hookama and his men? Must the aid, so
near, prove unavailing? She felt that something must be done, and done quickly.
A crowd of natives, non-combatants, old
men, women and children, stood on one side
in the plain towards the sea, looking on from
their safe position at the fight near the royal
house. It was a chaotic, distracted throng, a
wailing multitude, aimlessly running here and
there, or throwing themselves on the earth in
terror,
Divesting herself of her mantle, Kelea ran
swiftly towards this motley crowd, and, speeding her way in and out among them, gained a
large space, unobserved, on her way towards
the canoes on the beach, and the men who
guarded them. The natives, watching the conflict, paid no attention to her. But the men
with the canoes soon discerned her flying
figure coming towards them. At first they




380     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


paid little heed, as she was alone and only a
woman.
Straight as an arrow, she took her course
towards them. Though they saw her as she
ran, they paid more attention to the fleet and
the fight than to her. Nearer and nearer
came the girl, her long hair flying in the wind.
She ran as if her life depended on her speed.
The men at the beach, thinking her a messenger, awaited her approach now that her
object seemed to be to communicate with them.
It was a shrewd manoeuvre of Kelea.
Within a hundred yards of the little group
of warriors, she suddenly wheeled on her course
and sped over the sands towards the breakers.
Before the surprised watchers divined her real
intention, or thought of pursuing her, she had
gained a large space and was in the midst of
the rolling surf. Even then, the men were bewildered and could not believe that a woman
would dare to breast the high, combing waves.
One started to follow her but soon lost sight
of her among the breakers; saying " She's gone
crazy; let her drown!" he turned back.
But the girl swam on. Now her muscular
strength and skill in surf-riding came into full
play. With strokes that sent her swiftly forward and skilfully diving to avoid the force of
the larger, oncoming billows, while adroitly




SURF-RIZDNG A T ITS CULMINA TION.  38t


taking advantage of the receding waves, she
swam for the inlet, which she had discovered
on the day when she distanced all competitors
in the surf-riding contest.
Cool enough, even in the excitement of the
struggle, to turn her head as she rose to the
crest of a high wave, she saw that the contest
still raged at the royal house. With renewed
resolution on she ploughed, lifting her arms
to signal the war-fleet.
Fortunately, the surf-rider of Maui was in
her element. Here was the consummate result of her life in the surf on the shores of
her native isle. The waiting fleet outside the
reef soon perceived her signals and steered in
the direction to which she pointed. They
espied the entrance before she reached it, and
their swift paddles, shooting the canoes, one
by one, into the curving waves at that point,
passed inside the dangerous reef.
All eyes were on the swimmer, as she waited
in the water resting her tired limbs, till the
first canoe came near. In the stern of the
large war-canoe stood a tall chief, and when
Kelea flung back her hair from her face and
looked up at him, a cry escaped her as she
recognized her father!
Stout arms drew the girl into the canoe
where she sank down at the feet of the chief,




382    KELEA; THE SURF-RIDEN.


waving her hand towards the shore and urging on the crew.
There was no time for explanations.
The stalwart warrior looked grimly down
at his daughter as he carefully steered the
craft according to her guidance, while the men,
recognizing the lost wahine, their famous surfrider and princess, the pride of Waihee, bent
to their task with redoubled enthusiasm.
The rebels, guarding the canoes on the
beach, fled into the thickets. The warriors
from Maui, beaching their canoes, seized their
weapons and, without a moment's delay,
rushed towards the scene of conflict. Their
movements had been seen by both parties of
the combatants, but the assailants still hoped
to beat down the warriors who were left behind the barricade, and so make a better defense for themselves against their new foes.
As for flight, they knew that would be fatal.
Whither should they flee? The open plain
afforded no shelter, and their canoes were in
the hands of the enemy. Besides, Hawaiian
warriors knew how to die in battle but not to
flee. Therefore the fight continued with redoubled fury on both sides as the allies from
Maui ran to join in the fray. The issue
was no longer doubtful. The crowd of
natives, non-combatants, came nearer the




SURF-RIDING A T ITS CULMINA TION.  383
field of battle. Their shouts of cheer and encouragement were borne on the air to the ears
of Hookama and his band. Women screamed
in their exultation, and louder grew their
voices as they saw, at the head of the swiftly
approaching column of fresh warriors, a woman,
carrying in her hand and waving a long spear
with a blood-red pennon streaming at its tip.
With hair dishevelled and a loose tapa
mantle, which she had snatched from one of
the canoes, flying in the wind, she led the race.
Her skirt was torn and her shoulders were
bare, but the look of victorious resolution on
her face, as she turned towards the warriors
rushing after her like an avalanche, and her
war-cry, " In the name of all the gods! " caused
them to leap forward with a yell.
The rebel band, reduced to half its numbers,
bravely wheeled their outer ranks to their new
foes; while their warriors next the wall still
fought those who tried to leap over and despatch them. Crushed was that stout-hearted
phalanx, as between the upper and the nether
millstone. Fighting to the last, no quarter
given or received, they died where they stood,
to the last man, and their bodies lay piled as
high as the barricade itself, to attest their
brave defiance of death.
It was a hard won victory for the warriors




384     KELEA: THfr SURF-RIDPR.
of Oahu. Hookama's band had but a score
remaining after the fight. Several were
drowned in the fish pond, in hand-to-hand
wrestle with the flanking party of the rebels.
When the slaughter was over and the warriors
of Maui were attending to their wounded,
doing also what they could to assist Hookama
and his exhausted men, the disorderly crowd,
women in search of their husbands, old men
always getting in the way and eager for the
spoils of the enemy, swarmed into the field of
carnage, and indescribable confusion was the
result.
Searching among the wild and unrestrained
throngs, Hookama, who had watched the
movements of Kelea in the surf and as she led
the column to the attack, was suffering the
torture of anxiety as to her fate; she was nowhere to be found. In the excitement of the
last struggle he had lost sight of her and feared
she might have been stricken down.
At last, meeting Maili, he asked, " Where is
Kelea?" " Who is Kelea?" called out one
of the women, carrying a calabash of water to a
wounded warrior. "She led the troop," was
Maili's hurried answer as he whispered to
Hookama that Menehune had carried her to
the royal house early in the final combat.
Instantly a mighty shout arose. It was




SURF-RIDItN  A r ITS CULMtIA TIOi.  385


started by the woman to whom Maili had
spoken. "Kelea! Kelea!" was roared and
shouted and screamed by hundreds of voices, as
if the excited multitude had found vent for the
tumult of their agitated emotions in re-echoing the words. "Kelea, the Surf-Rider!
Kelea the Conqueror! Whereisshe? Crown
her; she has won the day! " and the boisterous people, rabble, warriors and the braves
from Maui, all followed Menehune, who
thought it was a fine thing to do, and led the
way to the king's large house.
A few moments earlier, Hookama had discovered Kelea lying on a couch, resting but
flushed with excitement. After she brought
her father and his warriors into the conflict,
knowing that the result was certain and that
she could be of no further use; shrinking also
from the sight of the slaughter, which had
none of the elements of even-handed warfare
in it, she found the dwarf, or he found her, and,
under his protection, she entered the deserted
royal house.
For the first time, the young alii knelt before the maiden and, taking her hand, pressed
it to his forehead. "Oh, Kelea! I owe you
my life: Brave girl! Glorious-"
" Crown Kelea!" came the echo of the
shout from the multitude without. "Kelea




386


iKELEA: THEi SURF-RIDER.


the Conqueror!" There was the noise of
tramping people. Hookama rose to his feet
and had only time to say-" Yes, my Kelea,
you have conquered-you have conquered me,"
when Menehune and the crowd burst into the
room, halting as they saw the young alii
standing in a dignified manner before the
young woman lying on the mats.
But even his presence could not repulse
their onslaught or quiet their shouts. They
insisted that Kelea should come out and be
crowned. Seeing that they persisted and were
full of loyal enthusiasm, Hookama assisted
Kelea to rise and, with her hand in his, the two
walked through the parted throng and stood
in the verandah in front of the royal house.
Then as if pandemonium was let loose, the
whole space was filled with a frantic multitude.
They waved pennons and spears; women
flung their tapa mantles in the air; warriors
shook aloft their battle-axes and javelins.
Flowers from the king's garden, branches from
the palm trees and hastily woven wreaths were
showered on the couple, till they were literally
covered up in the fragrant blossoms and stood
knee deep in aromatic maile vines. Shouts and
cries were lifted to the skies. Some cheered
Kelea, and some Hookama. Their names
were uttered in the same breath. It was an




SURF-RIDING AT ITS CULMINA TION.  387


ovation in which both shared, although the
name of Kelea aroused the most enthusiasm
and elicited the loudest utterances. Menehune
was turning somersaults in front of the crowd.
"It is a betrothal (hoopalau)," said a wahine
to Maili who stood in the crowd. It was
Kamili, to whom he had given the shell. She
had come in search of him to tend him if
wounded, but he had escaped with slight hurts.
" It looks like it, but I think there is another
ahead of this one," he replied, with a sly wink
at Kamili, remembering certain indications he
had seen at the house on the cliff.
Menehune overheard the conversation and
his ugly face had a grin across it, wider than
the gashes which gave him the look of a ghoul.
It was a gleam of his newly awakened consciousness that enabled him to get at the root
of the matter as he pinched the girl's arm and
grunted in her ear, " Pu' Aloha, one; Kelea,
two." She seemed to comprehend his meaning and gave him an answering smile, which
confirmed his notion of the final result.
There was another spectator who took a
personal interest in the scene. Kelea's father
was standing with the commander of one of
his war-canoes, narrowly watching his daughter
and Hookama, as they stood on the verandah,
the recipients of this impromptu ovation. He




388     tELEA: ZHE SURF-AIDER.
saw a look of intense happiness on her face
and he thought the young alii looked proud
and satisfied, with the handsome girl leaning
on his arm. He also noticed that they exchanged glances, which he interpreted as an
experienced father naturally would do.
" A fine pair, alii-nui! " said the warrior at
his side. " I saw that young chief come near
capturing the giant warrior of Hawaii, and he
would have done it, if the Lonely One had
not swooped down to the rescue. I have
heard him called Bird-Catcher; perhaps he
has snared the sea-bird already, eh?"
The chief made no reply, but in his heart he
had already chosen the handsome youth for
his daughter, if the gods so willed.




CHAPTER XXXVI.


ALOHA!
KELEA returned, under Menehune's escort,
to the house on the cliff, after an interview
with her father, the chief of Waihee. He
asked her to go back to Maui with him, but as
she begged to remain, that she might nurse a
dear friend who had been kind to her in her
exile, he finally consented. He exacted a
promise from Hookama that Kelea should return to Waihee when he sent for her, after the
recovery of her friend. The young alii gave
the pledge with some reluctance, but finally
concluded that her father's will was law, according to custom, and that he could not
refuse.
The king of Oahu soon after returned from
his victorious expedition against the rebels beyond the Pali and was prodigal in his praises
of Kelea's courage. His return relieved




390


3 KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


Hookama from duty at the royal house and
enabled him to retire at once to the house on
the cliff to recuperate his strength.
After receiving many hospitalities the chief
of Waihee and his warriors, none of whom
were slain in the battle with the rebels, set sail
amid the shouts of the crowd assembled on
the shore. His war-canoes were decorated
with flowers and his men richly rewarded by
the king for their services.
There was one thing that disturbed the
mind of the chief of Waihee. He learned,
just before he embarked, that Hookama had
intimate relations with another woman, who
was the " friend " whom Kelea wished to stay
and nurse. This complicated matters, but it
was too late to change the plan, and the king
assured him that he himself would answer for
his daughter's safety and welfare.
When Kelea returned to the cliff she found
Pu' Aloha so ill and weak that all her sympathies were aroused and she gave little heed to
her resolution not to witness the marital happiness of the newly wedded pair. Indeed, in
Hookama's heart there was so much anxiety
that he was glad to have Kelea near to nurse
his bride. He forgot everything but the use
of means for the recovery of the invalid.
For weeks Pu' Aloha made no progress to



ALOHA!


39i


wards recovery. The shock to her nerves had
utterly prostrated her. The good "mother"
was an adept in simple remedies. Menehune,
full of sympathetic feeling, which he expressed
in his peculiar style, gathered roots and herbs
from the woods and streams. Kelea applied
ointments and lotions. Hookama would have
nothing to do with the Kehunas, and in this he
was seconded by Kelea.
There were days of hope, and days that were
hopeless; days, when the beauty of the sick
girl's face was like that of a thin alabaster vase,
with the light shining from within. Her blue
veins showed through her fair skin and the
hectic color went and came. Her slender
figure gradually lost its graceful curves. The
hands, folded across the soft, white tapa, became thin and nerveless. Hookama suspended
a netting, like a hammock, under the shade of
the 'overhanging cliff, where the cool, upland
breezes swayed the vines drooping from the
rocks. It was a spot from which the shadows
of the clouds, chasing each other over the
mountain slopes, made the landscape a picture
of beauty, and the sunsets, seen over the sea,
were a dream of color in a mist of gold.
On the lovely afternoon of a day that had
greatly encouraged the hope of Pu' Aloha's
ultimate restoration to health, Hookama was




392     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


at the side of the hammock gently swinging its
occupant, whose spirits were unusually buoyant. Kelea had gone away with Menehune
for flowers and fruit.
The conversation turned on the absent girl.
who had been treated by them both, since the
battle at the royal house, as one to whom they
owed the deepest gratitude and for whom they
felt the sincerest regard. Pu' Aloha, with a
tranquil and winning expression, had been rehearsing the story of their mutual affection,
when she suddenly looked into Hookama's
face and, in a tone of the most artless simplicity, placing her thin, white hand on his, exclaimed:
" My dearest! I believe Kelea loves you.
She has never breathed such a thing to me, but
love's eyes you know are keen. Dear! Hasn't
she proved herself worthy of the best we can
give? Couldn't you love her, and keep on
loving me a little the best? "
This unexpected question, impossible under
conditions of a less primitive social code, was a
startling one to Hookama, but it was as natural
to the innocent maiden as if she had said to
her husband, " Which do you love best, your
mother or me? "
There was no hesitation in her voice and no
diffidence in her manner. She was a child of




ALOHA I


393


nature, untrammelled by conventional ideas,
knowing nothing of the law which makes one
woman the complement of one man. She was
not even swayed by what may be called the
instinct of union between two alone, in the
heart's holiest bonds. Filled with unselfish
trust and love towards HIookama and Kelea;
trust in him as the noblest man and love for
her as the dearest woman on the earth, she
spoke from her inmost heart and really longed
for an affirmative reply.
Turning on her a look of the fondest devotion, Hookama answered:" Do you mean, my beloved, that I might
love Kelea in the way I love you? Are you
not my only love-queen, my sweetest flower
of love? Can any other be to me what you
are? Will the pua-aloka yield its place as best
of all the flowers in Hookama's garden? You
cannot mean it," and he folded his bride to
his breast with caresses which revealed to her
that no other could possibly be to him what
she was, no matter what relations he might
sustain to another as a true friend, or in that
still more intimate connection which the custom of his people allowed and indeed often
made obligatory upon high chiefs.
Hookama's words not only disclosed to
Pu' Aloha the depth of his affection for her,




394    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


(and her heart beat faster as she realized that
she was his only love), but they also taught her
that no two women could possibly be equally
beloved by one man, however noble and
generous his nature.
Hookama knew too well Kelea's nature to
think for a moment that she would consent to
share his love with another, or be the second
in his affections. She was more than ever a
mystery to him. That she loved him with unchanging ardor was certain. Although a savage, he had already begun to comprehend
how her first passion had become chastened
and ennobled. Her robust beauty appealed
to his admiration and he felt its captivating
power. Her devotion to him and her willingness to give her life for him, he understood;
but why she clung to the idea that he might
give her the love which was centered wholly
on Pu' Aloha he could not conceive.
Did she think that at some distant day, he
would love them both alike? Was she under
the delusion that by and by something might
happen to transform him into a different being,
so that he could satisfy her heart and still be
true to his first love? He repudiated, as unworthy of the least consideration, the idea
that possibly she hoped he would weary
of the sweet child and turn to her for a more




ALOHA I


395


satisfying affection. He could give her marital rights, for all chiefs had as many wives as
they could support, but he knew this was
not now her desire.
The horrible thought was suggested to him
by some evil spirit, that Kelea might hope to
come nearer to him if Pu' Aloha should die;
but this infernal suggestion was chased away
instantly, as he remembered her profound love
for his dear one and her unselfish conduct and
tender care of her from the time she first
knew and loved his " Flower."
It was all an enigma to him. He would let
things go on. The gods (if there were gods),
must straighten it all out. It was too much
for him.
But Pu' Aloha's question and his answer
brought one good result. It put out of Pu'
Aloha's mind forever the thought of sharing
with Kelea the heart of her husband. She saw
how impossible a thing it was, and it made
her more tender than ever towards her friend.
She pitied her, and the affection she had felt
before deepened into a yearning towards her,
a desire to comfort her, which showed itself in
most endearing forms.
As the weeks passed, Kelea was so completely wrapped about by the charmed atmosphere of Pu' Aloha's loving devotion that her




396    KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


thoughts centered more and more upon the
lovely invalid. She was pleased with Hookama's courteous attentions, but she almost
idolized the beloved friend, whose love satisfied
her soul.
Hookama made every effort to cheer and
encourage his bride with anticipations of bright
joys to come when her health should return.
He related to her and Kelea his adventures;
he told of his experiences at the volcano and,
in rather a jesting manner, of his challenge to
Pele and the remarkable coincidence of the
collapse of the lake of fire.
This incident made a deep impression upon
Pu' Aloha and secretly she brooded over it,
till at last, made more superstitious because of
her physical condition, she felt a morbid dread
of Pele's wrath. She remembered the legend
in which vengeance was meted out by the enraged goddess to Kahawari, a chief who insulted her and whom she followed in a river
of burning lava.   Earthquakes and fiery
phenomena were the visible evidences of her
malignant spirit. It was the common belief
that only by the sacrifice of human life could
her anger ever be appeased.
The sweet maiden's spirits became more
and more depressed and, after Hookama's
persistent inquiries, she at last confessed the




ALOHA!


397


cause. "0, dearest! Pele must have a victim. She will follow thee till she is avenged.
Her wrath will surely fall on thee or on one
thou dost love. Either thou or I must be a
sacrifice. Willingly give I my life for thine, if
it will save thee." Hookama tried every expedient to rid her of the terrible idea. He
laughed at her fears, and finding this of no
avail showed her the impossibility of Pele's
vengeance reaching from her far-off domain on
Hawaii to Oahu.
In spite of all he could say or do, his lovely
flower drooped, and, like one whom the priests
"prayed to death," it seemed as if nothing
would remove from her mind the fatal presentiment which possessed her. One afternoon
the atmosphere suddenly became oppressive;
clouds gathered and assumed a lurid hue; the
little group on the cliff perceived a slight
tremor of the earth; a more vibratory shock
of earthquaking followed, such as Oahu sometimes felt when violent explosions were occurring at the volcano on Hawaii. Hookama was
standing apart from the women, when, out of
a cloud-burst, came a bolt of lightning, striking
and detaching a mass of rock above him which
nearly caught him as it hurtled with a loud
crash into the ravine below.
" A warning from Pele! " cried the shrinking




398     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.


girl, and she buried her face in her palms,
shedding copious tears. Kelea threw her arms
about her and supported her into the house.
Hookama followed, wearing a look of weary
hopelessness.  Neither he nor Kelea could
rally the affrighted girl from her despondent
mood. She only moaned and whispered: " I
am willing. 0 Pele! take me as the offering
and spare my beloved!"
It was, however, soon perceived by the two
watchers that Pu' Aloha's hold on life was becoming more and more feeble. Her smile was
as sweet and her words as gentle as ever, but
she smiled most sweetly when she said, " My
time to sleep is coming soon," and after that
she smiled and spoke less often. Even the
fragrant wild flowers which she loved failed to
receive from her more than a passing glance.
At last there came a day, when balmy odors
were wafted in from the vines clambering about
the house and beginning to put forth fresh
blossoms. A magic light was upon the distant
peaks. The clouds floated almost motionless
in the sky and the air was so still that one
could hear the breakers on the far-off shore.
Pu' Aloha was evidently sinking. Hookama
hung over the form of his beloved as if it held
a spirit from the land of dreams. Kelea's arms
were about the fragile creature; she raised




ALOHA /


399


her a little from the couch that she might take
one more look at the sky and the hills. The
blind " mother" stood by, and Menehune was
leaning against the thatched wall; his heart was
learning the meaning of true love in death.
Here, surrounded by all the rank growths of
centuries of paganism, the Flower of Love
exhaled its sweetest fragrance in dying, as if
its roots had been nourished in another, more
congenial soil.
The perfect day was drawing to its close.
The twilight shadows crept along the landscape as the setting sun diffused its last, roseate
hue over the sky. A slight movement of Pu'
Aloha's lips suggested a desire on the part of
the dying girl to speak. Kelea drew her close
to her heart. With his hand, Hookama gently
smoothed her forehead, around which still
clustered the luxuriant locks.  His sturdy
frame shook with irrepressible emotion.
Something like a prayer (to whom he knew
not) came to his mind. It was a wish for one
more word from his beloved, to interpret the
wistful look on the sweet face and the tender
meaning in her eyes.
The prayer was granted. As if the memory
of all the joyous days with those dearest to her
gave her a momentary strength, Pu' Aloha
took the hand that rested on her forehead and




400     KELEA: THE SURF-RIDER.
placed it on the hand of Kelea who was supporting her. From the half-closed lips came
whispers, inaudible save to the two for whom
they were uttered-faint, feeble sounds-but
articulate enough to reveal the last unselfish
wish of the sweet Flower of Love: 
" My  own-dearest-will of the gods."
Then, turning an almost seraphic look upon
Hookama and Kelea, her pure spirit took its
flight, as she murmured:"Betrothed-Aloha! "
THE END.




AUTHOR'S NOTE.
WE introduce our readers to the Hawaiian savage at
his best. The coarser side of him is only hinted at;
it would not be pleasant reading. Life was not wholly
idyllic in pagan Hawaii during the latter part of the last
century.
The Hawaiians were higher in the scale than most of
the other Polynesians. Their chiefs as a class were far
above the common natives. They seemed to belong to
a superior race. Some of the chiefs-both men and
women-were remarkable, if not for what civilization calls
virtue, at least for virtue in the classic sense of valor.
They were chivalrous in their fashion, and showed up
well in some of the kindly as well as in warlike traits.
One of the characters mentioned in this story became a
regenerating force in Christianizing her people, before
she died at the age of sixty-four; and one of this Queen
Regent's consorts, the king of Kauai, is spoken of by a
United States army chaplain as one of whom "he
never knew a word or action unbecoming a prince." As
for skepticism concerning the gods, the High Priest
of Hawaii, introduced into this story, was the first to
apply the torch to the temples, it is said from conviction,
before the missionaries landed in I820.




402


A UTHOR'S NO TE.


Poetry and a regard for beauty in nature, some say,
are not found  among savages. But the meles or
legendary chants which the Hawaiian bards recited have
both these elements. As an example, the Lament of
Lo-lale, in the original legend of Kelea, of which
only a fragment remains, is full of poetic pathos, and
Nature is invoked to grieve with the royal husband over
the loss of his wayward bride.
The idioms of the conversations in the romance are necessarily more English than Hawaiian, but the similes are
caught from authentic Hawaiian sources. All the setting
of the story,-customs, characteristics, battles, politics,
kings, warriors,-is historic or traditional, from the
best authorities. It must be added, that one exceptional
character, Pu' Aloha (The Flower of Love), is presented by way of contrast, and exerts a refining influence
impossible in wholly pagan life.
The illustrations are of localities in the story, more
interesting than imaginary pictures of the actors in their
various " situations."
The author is greatly indebted, for kindly revision and
valuable suggestions, to the Hon. G. D. Gilman, ExHawaiian Consul General at Boston, whose early and
long residence in the islands constitutes him an authority.
NEWTON, MASS, 1900.




I
I
d




;:-:




~.~:C::-~:::
t
i:
--::I
i
4








3


3




— A E i
ii i i i ii i i i ii i iiP i i~ i i
~CA