The two stones were to be carried the entire course.

The woman who prodded must do so with conviction and dispatch.

The woman who was prodded must not lose her temper and fight her tormentor.

As they had been duly forewarned by Bashti, the penalty for infraction of the rules he had laid down was staking out on the reef at low tide to be eaten by the fish-sharks.
As the contestants came opposite where Bashti and Aora his prime minister stood, they redoubled their efforts, Wiwau goading enthusiastically, Tiha jumping with every thrust to the imminent danger of dropping the stones.
At their heels trooped the children of the village and all the village dogs, whooping and yelping with excitement.
"Long time you fella Tiha no sit 'm along canoe," Aora bawled to the victim and set Bashti cackling again.
At an unusually urgent prod, Tiha dropped a stone and was duly goaded while she sank to her knees and with one arm scooped it in against her side, regained her feet, and waddled on.
Once, in stark mutiny at so much pain, she deliberately stopped and addressed her tormentor.
"Me cross along you too much," she told Wiwau.

"Bime by, close--" But she never completed the threat.