re disposed to be enemies,
and likely to attack them; but finding we did not interfere in the
least, and were the most peaceable of neighbours, they were content to
leave us alone.

"And the Spaniards only tried to frighten us away, Morgan," I said one
day.

"Well, I s'pose so, Master George; but you see we're so shut up here we
never know what's going to take place unless a ship puts in. It's a
very beautiful place, but there isn't a road, you see, that's worth
calling a road. Ah, there were roads in Carnarvon!"

"I don't believe you'd care to go back to them though, Morgan," I said.

"Well, I hardly know, Master George; you see this place don't 'pear to
agree with our Sarah's temper. It gets very trying sometimes when it's
hot. It was very hot this morning, and she was so put out that when
young Pomp put his black head in at the door she threw the big wooden
shovel at him."

"But what for?"

"That's what I said to her, Master George. `Sarah,' I says, `what had
the poor black boy done to make you throw things at him?'

"`Done,' she says; `didn't you see him put his head round the door and
grin at me?'

"`Well,' I says, `Sarah, my girl, that's only his way of showing that he
likes you.'

"`Then I don't want him to like me, and he's more trouble than he's
worth.' And there's a lot of truth in that, Master George."

"Why he works hard, Morgan," I said.

"Yes, just so long as you are watching him. Then he's off to play some
prank or another. That boy always seems to me as if he must be doing
something he ought not to do."

"Oh, he's a very good boy."

"Never make such a man as his father, my lad. Humph! Here he is."

I turned, and there, sure enough, was Pomp making a large display of his
white teeth, and holding something behind so that we should not see.

"What have you got?" I said.

He drew a basket forward and displayed four good-sized terrapins, and
offered them to Morgan for a present.

"No, no," grumbled the man, "I don't want them, and I'm sure that the
missus would find fault if I took them in. She hates them; besides, I'm
not going to be sugared over like that, to keep me from speaking out.
Now, look here, you've been fishing."

"Yes, sah. Kedge de terrupum."

"And I told you to hoe down between those yams, didn't I?"

"Yes, Mass' Morgan, I going to hoe down de yam-yam."

"But why isn't it done?"

"I d'know," said Pomp, innocently.

"You don't know?"

"No, sah, don't