noon
`` Aye , aye , _ Captain _ Barry . '' Up came the anchor from the coral bed in which it had lain for so many months , and ten minutes later the _ Mahina _ was slipping through the smooth water of the lagoon towards the passage . Another hour , with every stitch of her white cotton canvas shining bright in the glorious noonday sun , she was dashing over the long mountain swell of the North Pacific , and heading south before the brave north-east trade wind . At noon the watches were picked , and then the captain ordered the Solomon Islanders to be brought on deck . They came up one by one with the expectation of being at once shot . Togaro , the leader , who understood and spoke a little English , glared resentfully at Barry when the latter ordered him to step out from the rest and listen to what he had to say . `` Togaro , '' said the captain , `` I do n't want to keep all your fellows down there in the hold , and no harm will be done to any of you if you obey orders .