Usually, a cash prize was posted for capture and return of fugitives, and the native policemen were bent on making the capture for obvious reasons. Where the cane was tall, they were forced to step out on the road, but they walked along the edge of the highway so that they could jump into the canefield as soon as they heard approaching hoofbeats. When they came to the village of Paauilo they made a wide detour and proceeded northward. Nothing untoward happened and they got to the middle of the Paauhau Plantation at dawn the next morning.
"This is when we sleep the day again. This will be the last of the rice we brought. Luckily in Hawaii the cane will give us both food and water. So let's chew on this ripe cane," said Torao.
Hirano replied, "We shouldn't complain. Every mile we get away from Waipunalei, I feel freer and better. A few days without food is nothing. We must be between Paauilo and Honokaa. I heard that the Paauhau Plantation camp is not on the highway but we are on the plantation now. The next village we come to will be Honokaa."
Okawa was thoughtful. "Would it be wise to try to get some food when we get to Honokaa? I heard that once you get to Waimea Plateau, there will be no sugar cane to chew. Only cattle grazing ground is found there."
Torao was more optimistic. "This is an adventure and adventure is always attended with some risk. When we get to Honokaa, we'll reconnoiter and then decide what to do. Meanwhile, let's get some sleep."
The dried cane leaves made a nice soft bed. Several rows of cane away from the highway a little snoring would not invite attention. There were very few travelers anyway. Mosquitoes did not bother them.
When it became dark, the three men stepped out of this hiding place and headed north, exercising a cautious single file march and doing most of their walking before the moon came out. Because there were no houses along this stretch, they did not meet anyone on the road.
About midnight of the third night they reached Honokaa. By this time they were so hungry they decided without much arguing to run that certain risk and seek help from friendly compatriots. Wary of barking dogs, they came to a small house on the fringe of the town. By looking at the general layout of the surroundings of the house they concluded it must be the abode of a Japanese, for there was the outdoor cooking place and the more tell-tale wooden bathtub. They knocked repeatedly. A sleepy-eyed man answered the rap on the door and cautiously opened the entrance. He was clad in kimono with a lantern in his hand. Relieved to find that it was indeed a countryman, Hirano said, "We are extremely sorry to disturb you at this hour of the night but we are seeking mercy. We have not eaten for two days."
Suspiciously, the man inquired, "Where are you from and where are you bound for?"
"We are from Waipunalei and are on our way to Niuli, Kohala." Then everything seemed clear to the man and he let them into the hous.
"If I am not mistaken, you three are running away from the 'devil's plantation?' You have not been the first to come this way from Waipunalei. You must be hungry. Let me fix you something to eat." There was some leftover cold rice and he hurriedly boiled some water and prepared tea. With some pickled radish the three men devoured several bowls of rice and felt alive again. As the men were eating, the host prepared some two dozen pancakes.
"You had better take these along in case you run out of food again. But remember, the Waimea Plateau you will have to cross is practically uninhabited up to where the cowboys live and that is a village called Kamuela. Perhaps you had better give the Kanakas a wide berth, for they are apt to turn you over for the cash prize that hangs around your neck. Only eat these pancakes when there is absolutely no other food in sight. Now you had better get started again and reach the forest lands that start on that hill about two miles away. It is never safe in the village. Hope you have luck in your venture." He divided the pancakes into three packages. "Let each carry his own. You may become parted. Nobody can foretell what will happen."
"May we ask your name and home address in Japan? There may be a chance for us to return your hospitality in kind," said Torao.
"Oh, forget about it! Between us men from the same country everyone is like a brother as far as I am concerned. You would have done the same for me had I been in your shoes. Just watch the roads carefully. The first part of the forest road seems to be the most dangerous. In the cattle ranches beware of the bulls and play possum at night when they come to sniff at you."
They thanked this kindly man from the bottom of their hearts and took to the road again, climbing uphill towards the Waimea Plateau. In the dead of the night there was no one stirring, so the men followed the road and made good progress. Up and up they climbed. There was no conversation for everyone was intent on getting out of the danger zone. The fine dust of the road was like flour and impeded their progress. Recently, wagons heavily laden with harvested cane had used this road extensively and ground the dirt road to this pulverized state, for there had been no rain for the past three weeks. Had there been rain the road would have been well nigh impassable.
The moon came out at about two o'clock and the going was made relatively easy as the countryside came plainly into view. The lofty peak of Mauna Kea seemed to tower immediately in front of them. The cane fields, bathed in the soft glow of the silvery moon, shimmered like the surface of the sea and extended in undulating waves to the ocean miles away. They came to the end of the plantation and the scenery changed to the typical wild wooded sections of the subtropics. Large ohia trees abounded and in the underbrush giant tree ferns flourished to form an almost impassable barrier. They sighed with relief but their feeling of safety was destined to be short-lived.
The policeman at Honokaa had been notified of the three fugitives. Traces of their hiding place in the cane field at Kukaiau Plantation had been discovered by working men in the fields and the police further on had been duly notified. The native policeman at Honokaa needed the cash prize of ten dollars per head for his growing family. He figured the runaway Japanese would head through Honokaa that night and so he kept vigil at the junction of the plantation and the forest lands. The hilly terrain there would make the capture easier.
He lay recumbent on the ground and was patiently awaiting his prey to appear. As the night wore on and he became sleepy, his horse began pricking his ears and restlessly pulled on the rein which wound around the policeman's wrist. He became alert and on looking down the road he espied three forms in the moonlight. There was no mistake. To get them all was his ambition. He tightened the girth of the saddle and mounted. He used to work as a cowboy on the Parker Ranch at Waimea in his youth and lassoing was a specialty of his. He untied the cowhide rope and carefully made a big ring of it with his right hand.
When the approaching fugitives hove into sight within fifty feet, he applied spurs to his mount and made a dash for the unsuspecting men. Completely taken by surprise, they dispersed and took to the little mound on the roadside. They intended to separate but instinctively two got bunched together while the other went by himself. The lasso flew to its mark and the two men were ensnared in one attempt. Brought violently together, they suddenly realized that they were captured and their cause lost. Having heard that the Hawaiian cowboys made a practice of dragging their victims when there was resistance, the two men stopped running and felt the cowhide rope tighten around their waists. Holding the rope taut, the policeman approached them with a drawn revolver and handcuffed them together. In the meantime the third member, Okawa, had made good his escape.
Torao and Hirano were handcuffed together. The policeman held the rope that was tied to the metal handcuffs and commanded the fugitives to head downhill. He followed behind on his horse and locked them in a cell at the county jail.
"Oh, what a disgrace! I would rather die than be taken back to Waipunalei," wailed Hirano.
"Yes, I feel the same way. But not enough to commit suicide. Maybe there'll be another chance. Maybe we'll get a beating at the hands of the Jackass head luna. I can't stand that: to be kicked about by the giant. It hurts to be kicked but the indignity of being booted will make me feel so small spiritually that I surely will lose my self-respect as a human being. Why did I ever come to Hawaii!"
Fitfully, they snatched two hours of sleep and were then given a cup of coffee and two pieces of hardtack. At seven o'clock the fat khaki-clad policeman appeared. He displayed a star on his coat, wore a broad-rimmed hat with another star