WORRALS INVESTIGATES

by Captain W. E. Johns

13. FRECKS TELLS HER TALE (Pages 158 – 167)

Worrals is worried for the safety of the white woman on the island now the attacking natives have killed Doctor Borran. “The natives would have no means of knowing that the situation on the island had entirely changed since their last attempted visit. They would suppose, quite naturally, that every white woman on the island was an enemy. In that case, clearly it would not be safe for any white person to leave the protecting walls of the palace. In fact, Worrals was by no means sure that they would be safe even there”. Worrals discusses the affair with the Polynesian girls and Tepi and some other native girls agree to go and speak to the native men. Three hours later they return to say they can find no men on the island and the body of the doctor has disappeared. Worrals goes out to see for herself, with a number of the girls. “As they walked along, Worrals was struck suddenly by the absurdity of the expedition, which was like nothing she had ever before undertaken. The party was more in the nature of a school treat setting out on a ramble, than a serious reconnaissance for a party of murderers with blood still wet on their hands”. Suddenly the Seafarer comes into view and Frecks lands the plane. Looking round with caution, she sees Worrals and then shouts a warning about the doctor having a gun. Worrals tells her the doctor is dead. Frecks says she has just flown over a canoe five minutes beforehand, heading away from the island. Frecks says that as she approached Raratua she saw the lights of a ship and it signalled to her in Morse code. The ship was the trading schooner; ‘Viete’ and Frecks met Donald MacDougal, the owner and skipper. The ‘Viete’ was actually on the way to Outside Island as there might be copra to pick up. Frecks, having explained the situation, has got Donald to agree to take the white girls on the island back to Papeete, which is his home point. Worrals says they might as well go back to the palace to get ready for the evacuation.