Page:Off For Hawaii.djvu/59

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AN ADVENTURE ON THE PALI.
47

heard them telling at the hotel what awful trade winds they have through the valley."

"Yes; great wind up dare," put in the native, with a grin. "Wind so strong sometime lif' horse off his feet."

"Great Cæsar! don't scare us before we start!" ejaculated Oliver. "If it will lift up a horse, what will it do to the carriage and with us?"

"Naini very careful driver," returned the Kanaka. "If wind too strong we get behind big trees maybe, or in hollow. Wind don't blow all the time."

"All right, Naini, we'll trust ourselves in your hands," said Dan." Bring us back safe and sound and we'll pay you well."

"Got a good road now, so not much danger," went on the Kanaka. "When had the old road it werry bad, and trip a long, long one. We go dare and back all right."

The distance from Honolulu to the Pali is less than five miles, but as it is a constant climb uphill, we soon found that the journey would take longer than expected. The horses moved at a walk, excepting where they struck a level stretch. In the meantime, as we entered the valley, we found the wind blowing more fresh than ever, until it closely resembled a gale. As the Kanaka had said, it came and went in fitful gusts.