d with all the other men by the forge watching John
Williams as he wrought at a piece of red-hot iron, and overheard the
remark, did not, he said, feel so sure of that. Them niggers was fond
o' their liberty, and it was his opinion they should get up a grand
hunt, and shoot 'em down off-hand. There would be no peace till that
was done.

"There would be no peace even after that was done," said Isaac Martin,
with a leer, "unless we shot you along wi' them."

"It's impossible either to shoot or drown Matt Quintal, for he's born to
be hanged," said McCoy, sucking viciously at his cocoa-nut-loaded pipe,
which did not seem to draw well.

"That's true," cried Mills, with a laugh, in which all the party except
Christian joined more or less sarcastically according to humour.

"Oh, mother," exclaimed Otaheitan Sally, going into her hut on tiptoe a
few minutes later, with her great eyes dilated in horror, "the white
mens is talkin' of shootin' Timoa and Nehow!"

"Never mind, dear," replied her mother in her own language, "it's only
talk. They'll never do such a thing. I'm sure Mr Young did not agree
to help in such a deed, did he?"

"O no, mother," answered Sally, with tremendous emphasis; "he said it
would be very _very_, wicked to do such tings."

"So it would, dear. No fear. It's only talk."

Satisfied with this assurance, Sally went off with a cleared visage to
superintend some operation in connection with her ever-increasing
infantry charge, probably to pay some special attention to her favourite
Charlie, or to chaff "that booby" Thursday October, though, to say
truth, Thursday was no booby, but a smart intelligent fellow.

The very next day after that, Timoa and Nehow came down to Edward Young
as he was at work alone in his yam-field. This field was at a
considerable distance from the settlement, high up on the mountain-side.
The two men had left their weapons behind them.

"We's comed for give you a helpin' hand, Missr Yong, if you no lay hands
on us," said Nehow.

"I have no wish to lay hands on you," replied Young; "besides, I have no
right to do so. You know I never regarded you as slaves, nor did I
approve of your bad treatment. But let me advise you to rejoin us
peaceably, and I promise to do what I can to make things go easier."

"Nebber!" exclaimed Nehow, fiercely.

"Well, it will be the worse for yourselves in the long-run," said Young,
"for Quintal and McCoy will be sure to go after you at l