You give them
greater confidence in us than all our words."
By this time the canoe had paddled alongside the launch. Tamate went
over the side first into the canoe, then Mrs. Abel, then Mr. Abel,
Iko, and Vaaburi. The canoe pushed off again and paddled toward the
landing place, where a crowd of Ialan savages filled every inch of
space.
As soon as the bow of the canoe touched the bank, Tamate, without
hesitating a second, stepped out with Iko. Together they walked up to
the chief Pouta, and Tamate put his arms around him in an embrace of
peace.
Pouta, standing on a high place, shouted to all his warriors. But none
of the white people knew a word of his meaning.
Look where they would, in every direction, this white woman and the
two men were completely surrounded by an unbroken mass of wild and
armed savages, who stood gazing upon the strange apparitions in their
midst.
Tamate, without a pause, perfectly calm, and showing no signs of fear,
spoke to Pouta and his men through old Vaaburi and Iko.
"We have come," he said, "so that we may be friends. We have come
without weapons. We have brought with us a woman of our tribe, for
we come in peace. We are strangers. But we come with great things to
tell. Some day we will come again and will stay with you and will tell
you all our message.
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