midnight
Old Hutton had returned to his station , and Blackett was returning with a boatload of copra from a village across the bay . Heavy rain-squalls tore down upon the boat at short intervals , and Blackett , drenched to the skin , began to feel the first deadly chills and pains of an attack of island fever . Usually light-hearted , he now felt angry , and savagely cursed at his crew when the heavily-laden boat touched and ground against the coral knobs that lay scattered about her course . It was long past midnight when he reached his station , and , stepping wearily out of the boat , dragged his aching limbs along the beach . ` Rita had heard the boat , and Blackett could see that a bright fire was burning in the thatched , open-sided cook-house , and that ` Rita herself was there , with a number of native children making coffee . The quickening agonies of fever were fast seizing him , and , entering the house and throwing himself on a seat , he felt his brain whirling , and scarcely noticed that Tubariga , the local chief , was bending over him anxiously . Then ` Rita came with the steaming coffee , and one quick glance at Blackett 's crouched-up figure told her that the dreaded fever had seized him at last .