Short Stories
dge that sooner or later his time would come. And he knew
just what he was going to do, down to the smallest detail,
when the time did come.
One morning Bunster got up in a mood for knocking seven
bells out of the universe. He began on Mauki, and wound up
on Mauki, in the interval knocking down his wife and ham-
mering all the boat-boys. At breakfast he called the coffee
slops and threw the scalding contents of the cup into Mauki's
face. By ten o'clock Bunster was shivering with ague, and half
an hour later he was burning with fever. It was no ordinary
attack. It quickly became pernicious, and developed into
black-water fever. The days passed, and he grew weaker and
weaker, never leaving his bed. Mauki waited and watched, the
while his skin grew intact once more. He ordered the boys to
beach the cutter, scrub her bottom, and give her a general
overhauling. They thought the order emanated from Bunster,
and they obeyed. But Bunster at the time was lying uncon-
scious and giving no orders. This was Mauki's chance, but still
he waited.
When the worst was past, and Bunster lay convalescent and
conscious, but weak as a baby, Mauki packed his few trinkets,
including the china cup handle, into his trade box. Then he went
over to the village and interviewed the king and his two prime
ministers.
"This fella Bunster, him good fella you like too much?" he
asked.
They explained in one voice that they liked the trader not at
all. The ministers poured forth a recital of all the indignities and
wrongs that had been heaped upon them. The king broke down
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