ir, that a dam' Malay like a monkey is in charge of your
ship--and no one else. Just listen to his feet pit-patting above us on
the bridge--real officer in charge. He's taking her up the river while
the great man is wallowing in the chair--perhaps asleep; and if he is,
that would not make it much worse either--take my word for it."

He tried to thrust himself farther in. Massy, with lowered forehead, one
hand grasping the back of the arm-chair, did not budge.

"You think, sir, that the man has got you tight in his agreement . . ."
Massy raised a heavy snarling face at this . . . "Well, sir, one can't
help hearing of it on board. It's no secret. And it has been the talk on
shore for years; fellows have been making bets about it. No, sir!
It's _you_ who have got him at your mercy. You will say that you can't
dismiss him for indolence. Difficult to prove in court, and so on. Why,
yes. But if you say the word, sir, I can tell you something about his
indolence that will give you the clear right to fire him out on the spot
and put me in charge for the rest of this very trip--yes, sir, before
we leave Batu Beru--and make him pay a dollar a day for his keep till
we get back, if you like. Now, what do you think of that? Come, sir.
Say the word. It's really well worth your while, and I am quite ready to
take your bare word. A definite statement from you would be as good as a
bond."

His eyes began to shine. He insisted. A simple statement,--and he
thought to himself that he would manage somehow to stick in his berth as
long as it suited him. He would make himself indispensable; the ship had
a bad name in her port; it would be easy to scare the fellows off. Massy
would have to keep him.

"A definite statement from me would be enough," Massy repeated slowly.

"Yes, sir. It would." Sterne stuck out his chin cheerily and blinked at
close quarters with that unconscious impudence which had the power to
enrage Massy beyond anything.

The engineer spoke very distinctly.

"Listen well to me, then, Mr. Sterne: I wouldn't--d'ye hear?--I wouldn't
promise you the value of two pence for anything _you_ can tell me."

He struck Sterne's arm away with a smart blow, and catching hold of
the handle pulled the door to. The terrific slam darkened the cabin
instantaneously to his eye as if after the flash of an explosion.
At once he dropped into the chair. "Oh, no! You don't!" he whispered
faintly.

The ship had in that place to shave the ba