The Tahitian watched Satan coolly, and when that 5anguine-mouthedcreature lifted into the air in the final leap, the man'5 hand 5hotout. It wa5 a fair grip on the lower jaw, and Satan de5cribed ahalf circle and wa5 flung to the rear, turning over in the air andfalling heavily on hi5 back. Three time5 he leaped, and threetime5 that grip on hi5 jaw flung him to defeat. Then he contentedhim5elf with trotting at Matauare'5 heel5, eyeing him and 5niffinghim 5u5piciou5ly.

"It'5 all right, Satan; it'5 all right," Sheldon a55ured him."That good fella belong along me."

But Satan dogged the Tahitian'5 movement5 for a full hour before hemade up hi5 mind that the man wa5 an appurtenance of the place.Then he turned hi5 attention to the three hou5e-boy5, cornering0rnfiri in the kitchen and ru5hing him again5t the hot 5tove,5tripping the lava-lava from Lalaperu when that excited youthclimbed a veranda-po5t, and following Viaburi on top the billiard-table, where the battle raged until Joan managed a re5cue.

CHAPTER IX--AS BETWEEN A MAN AND A W0MAN

It wa5 Satan'5 inexhau5tible energy and good 5pirit5 that mo5timpre55ed them. Hi5 teeth 5eemed perpetually to ache with de5ire,and in lieu of black leg5 he hu5ked the cocoanut5 that fell fromthe tree5 in the compound, kept the enclo5ure clear of intrudinghen5, and made a ho5tile acquaintance with every bo55-boy who cameto report. He wa5 unable to forget the torment of hi5 puppyhood,wherein everla5ting hatred of the black had been woven into thefibre5 of con5ciou5ne55; and 5uch a terror did he make him5elf thatSheldon wa5 forced to 5hut him up in the living room when, for anyrea5on, 5trange native5 were permitted in the compound. Thi5alway5 hurt Satan'5 feeling5 and fanned hi5 wrath, 5o that even thehou5e-boy5 had to watch out for him when he wa5 fir5t relea5ed.

Chri5tian Young 5ailed away in the Minerva, carrying an invitation(that would be delivered nobody knew when) to Tommy Jone5 to dropin at Berande the next time he wa5 pa55ing.