se, a fleet or canoes
crowded with natives put off from the sandy beach in front of the king's
house, and paddled swiftly over towards the ships, the captains of which
only awaited their arrival to weigh and tow out through the passage.

As the mist lifted, Cayse, the master of the _Iroquois_ of Sagharbour,
stepped briskly up on the poop, and hailed the skipper of the other
vessel, a small, yellow-painted barque of less than two hundred tons.

"Are you ready, Captain Ross?"

"All ready," was the answer; "only waiting for the military," and then
followed a hoarse laugh.

Cayse, a little, grizzled, and leathern-faced man of fifty, replied by
an angry snarl, then turned to his mate, who stood beside him awaiting
his orders.

"Get these natives settled down as quickly as possible, Mr. North, then
start to heave-up and loose sails. I reckon we'll tow out in an hour.
The king will be here presently in his own boat. Hoist it aboard."

North nodded in silence, and was just moving on to the main deck, when
Cayse stopped him.

"You don't seem too ragin' pleased this mornin', Mr. North, over this
business. Naow, as I told you yesterday, I admire your feelin's on the
subject, but I can't afford--"

The mate's eyes blazed with anger.

"And I tell you again that I won't have anything to do with it. I know
my duty, and mean to stick to it. I shipped for a whaling voyage, and
not to help savages to fight. Take my advice and give it up. Money got
in this way will do you no good."

Cayse shifted his feet uneasily.

"I can't afford to sling away the chance of earnin' two or three
thousan' dollars so easy. An' you'll hev to do your duty to me. Naow,
look here--"

North raised his hand.

"That will do. I have said I will do my duty as mate, but not a hand's
turn will I take in such bloody work as you and the skipper of that
crowd of Sydney cut-throats and convicts are going into for the sake of
six thousand dollars."

"Well, I reckon we can do without you. Any one would think we was going
piratin', instead of helping the king of this island to his rights.
Naow, just tell me--"

Again the mate interrupted him.

"I am going for'ard to get the anchor up, and will obey all your orders
as far as the working of the ship is concerned--nothing more."

An hour later the two vessels, their decks crowded with three hundred
savages, armed with muskets, spears, and clubs, were towed out through
the narrow, reef-bound passage, and