His hands were bony
claws, his emaciated face a sheer death's-head. His task, it seemed, was
to tend the fire, and while he blinked at them he added to it a handful
of dead and mouldy wood. And hung in the smoke they found the object of
their search. Joan turned and stumbled out hastily, deathly sick,
reeling into the sunshine and clutching at the air for support.
"See if all are there," she called back faintly, and tottered aimlessly
on for a few steps, breathing the air in great draughts and trying to
forget the sight she had seen.
Upon Sheldon fell the unpleasant task of tallying the heads. They were
all there, nine of them, white men's heads, the faces of which he had
been familiar with when their owners had camped in Berande compound and
set up the poling-boats. Binu Charley, hugely interested, lent a hand,
turning the heads around for identification, noting the hatchet-strokes,
and remarking the distorted expressions. The Poonga-Poonga men gloated
as usual, and as usual the Tahitians were shocked and angry, several of
them cursing and muttering in undertones. So angry was Matapuu, that he
strode suddenly over to the fire-tender and kicked him in the ribs,
whereupon the old savage emitted an appalling squeal, pig-like in its
wild-animal fear, and fell face downward in the ashes and lay quivering
in momentary expectation of death.
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