urs as she is mine. Anyway we all
have a good right to her, as we have given the ship a whale worth a
dozen new boats; and, besides that, by deserting we have forfeited our
'lays' and have put money into Captain Keller's pocket as well as
into those of the crew. Now, I have a little money with me--two hundred
dollars. Will you four men take a hundred and divide it, and let Cheyne
and me have the boat?"

"Ay, ay, to be sure," they cried out in unison.

That evening Frewen and Cheyne bade Mana'lio and the seamen goodbye, and
accompanied by four stalwart and well-armed natives, stepped into the
boat, hoisted her blue jean main-sail and jib, and amidst a chorus of
farewells from the friendly people set off on a forty miles trip along
the coast, their destination being the town of Samatau, at the extreme
north-west of the island.

For here, so Mana'lio had told them, Mrs. Raymond and her husband were
living, the latter having purchased a large tract of land there which he
was preparing for a cotton plantation.

CHAPTER IV

The boat sailed gently along the outer or barrier reef which fringed
the coast of beautiful verdured Upolu, and then, as the sun sank, there
shone out myriad stars upon the bosom of a softly heaving sea, and
only the never-ceasing murmur of the surf as it beat against the coral
barrier, or the cry of some wandering sea-bird, disturbed the warm
silence of the tropic night.

Leaving the boat to the care of their native friends at eight o'clock,
Frewen and his comrade laid down amidships and were soon fast asleep,
for the day had been a tiring one, and they needed more rest to recover
from the effects of the three days they had spent on the open sea.

Soon after daylight they were awakened by the steersman, who pointed out
a large, lofty-sparred vessel. She was about five miles away, and being
head on, Frewen was uncertain as to her rig, till an hour later, when he
saw that she was a full-rigged ship.

"Not the _Casilda_" he said to his comrade, and neither of them gave the
strange vessel any further thought, especially as the wind had now died
away, and, the sail being lowered, the crew bent to the oars under an
already hot and blazing sun.

Shortly before noon, the boat rounded a low headland and entered
a lovely little bay, embowered in thick groves of coco-palms and
breadfruit trees. The new house which Raymond had built was not
visible from the bay, but there were some thirty or forty na