Page:Off For Hawaii.djvu/152

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
138
OFF FOR HAWAII.

street of Wailuku and looking at everybody we passed to see if we could catch sight of the onearmed sailor.

"I think the best thing we can do is to go to the dock first," said Oliver. "Merkin would sail away as fast as he could, especially if he suspected we were still in the town."

This we thought a good plan, and turned our faces toward the steamship offices without delay. At the dock, piled high with merchandise of all kinds, we met a large crowd of people turning back.

"What's the crowd for?" asked Dan, of a native.

"We see steamer off," was the answer. "Big time when steamer go off. We say aloha to everybody." Aloha is the Hawaiian word for welcome, good-by, and good-luck to you.

"How long since the steamer sailed?" asked Oliver quickly.

"Half an hour or so."

"Were there many passengers?"

" Twenty or thirty. I no count them all."

"Did you notice a one-armed man, a sailor?" went on Oliver, with increased interest.

"Oh, yes; I see sailor. He with a man I know," was the quick reply.

"And who was the man—Joe Koloa?" put in Dan.