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and the drip of the rain grew dim in his ears it seemed to him that he was
once more in the thick of the horse… breaking； with raw colts rearing and
bucking under him； his stirrups tied together beneath； or charging madly
about the breaking corral and driving the helping cowboys over the rails。
The next instant； and with seeming naturalness； he found himself
pursuing the wild bulls of the upland pastures； roping them and leading
them down to the valleys。 Again the sweat and dust of the branding
pen stung his eyes and bit his nostrils。
All his lusty； whole…bodied youth was his； until the sharp pangs of
impending dissolution brought him back。 He lifted his monstrous
hands and gazed at them in wonder。 But how？ Why？ Why should the
wholeness of that wild youth of his change to this？ Then he
remembered； and once again； and for a moment； he was Koolau； the
leper。 His eyelids fluttered wearily down and the drip of the rain
ceased in his ears。 A prolonged trembling set up in his body。 This； too；
ceased。 He half…lifted his head； but it fell back。 Then his eyes opened；
and did not close。 His last thought was of his Mauser； and he pressed it
against his chest with his folded； fingerless hands。
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THE HOUSE OF PRIDE
GOOD…BYE； JACK
Hawaii is a queer place。 Everything socially is what I may call
topsy…turvy。 Not but what things are correct。 They are almost too
much so。 But still things are sort of upside down。 The most ultra…
exclusive set there is the 〃Missionary Crowd。〃 It comes with rather a
shock to learn that in Hawaii the obscure martyrdom…seeking missionary
sits at the head of the table of the moneyed aristocracy。 But it is true。
The humble New Englanders who came out in the third decade of the
nineteenth century； came for the lofty purpose of teaching the kanakas
the true religion； the worship of the one only genuine and undeniable
God。 So well did they succeed in this； and also in civilizing the kanaka；
that by the second or third generation he was practically extinct。 This
being the fruit of the seed of the Gospel； the fruit of the seed of the
missionaries （the sons and the grandsons） was the possession of the
islands themselves；of the land； the ports； the town sites； and the sugar
plantations： The missionary who came to give the bread of life
remained to gobble up the whole heathen feast。
But that is not the Hawaiian queerness I started out to tell。 Only
one cannot speak of things Hawaiian without mentioning the
missionaries。 There is Jack Kersdale； the man I wanted to tell about； he
came of missionary stock。 That is； on his grandmother's side。 His
grandfather was old Benjamin Kersdale； a Yankee trader； who got his
start for a million in the old days by selling cheap whiskey and square…
face gin。 There's another queer thing。 The old missionaries and old
traders were mortal enemies。 You see； their interests conflicted。 But
their children made it up by intermarrying and dividing the island
between them。
Life in Hawaii is a song。 That's the way Stoddard put it in his
〃Hawaii Noi〃：…
〃Thy life is musicFate the notes prolong！ Each isle a stanza； and the
whole a song。〃
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… Page 34…
THE HOUSE OF PRIDE
And he was right。 Flesh is golden there。 The native women are
sun… ripe Junos； the native men bronzed Apollos。 They sing； and dance；
and all are flower…bejewelled and flower…crowned。 And； outside the
rigid 〃Missionary Crowd；〃 the white men yield to the climate and the
sun； and no matter how busy they may be； are prone to dance and sing
and wear flowers behind their ears and in their hair。 Jack Kersdale was
one of these fellows。 He was one of the busiest men I ever met。 He
was a several…times millionaire。 He was a sugar…king； a coffee planter；
a rubber pioneer； a cattle rancher； and a promoter of three out of every
four new enterprises launched in the islands。 He was a society man； a
club man； a yachtsman； a bachelor； and withal as handsome a man as
was ever doted upon by mammas with marriageable daughters。
Incidentally； he had finished his education at Yale； and his head was
crammed fuller with vital statistics and scholarly information concerning
Hawaii Nei than any other islander I ever encountered。 He turned off
an immense amount of work； and he sang and danced and put flowers in
his hair as immensely as any of the idlers。 He had grit； and had
fought two duelsboth； politicalwhen he was no more than a raw
youth essaying his first adventures in politics。 In fact； he played a most
creditable and courageous part in the last revolution； when the native
dynasty was overthrown； and he could not have been over sixteen at the
time。 I am pointing out that he was no coward； in order that you may
appreciate what happens later on。 I've seen him in the breaking yard at
the Haleakala Ranch； conquering a four…year…old brute that for two years
had defied the pick of Von Tempsky's cow…boys。 And I must tell of one
other thing。 It was down in Kona；or up； rather； for the Kona people
scorn to live at less than a thousand feet elevation。 We were all on the
lanai of Doctor Goodhue's bungalow。 I was talking with Dottie
Fairchild when it happened。 A big centipedeit was seven inches； for
we measured it afterwardsfell from the rafters overhead squarely into
her