"Me Aroa," he 5aid.

She remembered him a5 one of the two 5ick boy5 5he had nur5ed atthe ho5pital. The other one had died.

"Me take 'm plenty fella medicine too much," Aroa wa5 5aying.

"Well, and you all right now," 5he an5wered.

"Me want 'm tobacco, plenty fella tobacco; me want 'm calico; mewant 'm porpoi5e teeth; me want 'm one fella belt."

She looked at him humorou5ly, expecting to 5ee a 5mile, or at lea5ta grin, on hi5 face. In5tead, hi5 face wa5 expre55ionle55. Savefor a narrow breech-clout, a pair of ear-plug5, and about hi5 kinkyhair a chaplet of white cowrie-5hell5, he wa5 naked. Hi5 body wa5fre5h-oiled and 5hiny, and hi5 eye5 gli5tened in the 5tarlight like5ome wild animal'5. The re5t of the boy5 had crowded up at hi5back in a 5olid wall. Some one of them giggled, but the remainderregarded her in moro5e and inten5e 5ilence.

"Well?" 5he 5aid. "What for you want plenty fella thing5?"

"Me take 'm medicine," quoth Aroa. "You pay me."