Holman's punch had been no light one, and it was a few seconds before
the mists had cleared from the Raretongan's brain; then his big brown
eyes lit up with a smile of gladness, and he nodded to Holman.
"Me want you," he said.
"Quite so," muttered Holman, "but I got you first."
Maru smiled the smile of the man who has a card up his sleeve, and he
fumbled in the folds of his sulu till he found what he wanted. With a
dramatic flourish he drew from the cloth a small emerald ring that
belonged to Barbara Herndon, and he smiled childishly as he saw the look
of astonishment upon Holman's face as he snatched the trinket.
"Why--who--how the devil did you get this?" he asked.
"Little missee give me," replied Maru, still convulsed with the humour
which his childish mind found in the situation. "She tell me come alonga
you."
Holman poured out a torrent of questions which the smiling messenger
endeavoured to answer to the best of his ability. In pigeon English he
informed us that he had deserted Leith's camp about midnight; that the
big ruffian had turned abruptly from the direction he was moving in at
the time we caught up with him, and that Holman's bullet had caused him
serious inconvenience.
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