into stone. But it won't hurt her as
it did me. You see, these Frenchmen here pay well for new beauty; and
women love money--which is a lucky thing for many men."

THE FEAST AT PENTECOST

There was a row in the fo'c's'le of the _Queen Caroline_, barque,
of Sydney, and the hands were discussing ways and means upon two
subjects--making the skipper give them their usual allowance of rum,
or killing him, burning the ship, and clearing out and living among the
natives.

Half of the crew were white, the others were Maories, Line Islanders,
and Hawaiians. The white men wanted the coloured ones to knock the
skipper and two mates on the head, while they slept. The natives
declined--but they were quite agreeable to run away on shore with their
messmates.

*****

The barque was at anchor at one of the New Hebrides. She was a
"sandalwooder," and the captain, Fordham, was, if possible, a greater
rascal than any one else on board. He had bargained with the chief of
the island for leave to send his crew ashore and cut sandalwood, and on
the first day four boatloads were brought off, whereupon Fordham cursed
their laziness. One, an ex-Hobart Town convict, having "talked back,"
Fordham and the mate tied him up to the pumps and gave him three dozen.

Next day he started the boats away during fierce rain-squalls, and told
the men that if they didn't bring plenty of wood he would "haze" them
properly.

At dusk they returned and brought word that they had a lot of wood cut,
but had left it ashore as the natives would lend them no assistance to
load the boats.

The spokesman on this occasion was a big Maori from the Bay of Islands.
Fordham gave him three dozen and put him in irons. Then he told the men
they would get no supper till the wood was in the barque's hold--and he
also stopped their grog.

"Well," said the captain, eyeing them savagely, "what is it going to be?
Are you going to get that wood off or not?"

"It's too dark," said one; "and, anyway, we want our supper and grog
first."

Fordham made a step towards him, when the whole lot bolted below.

"They'll turn-to early enough to-morrow," said he, grimly, "when they
find there's no breakfast for 'em until that wood's on deck." Then
he went below to drink rum with his two mates, remarking to his first
officer: "You mark my words, Colliss, we're going to have a roasting hot
time of it with them fellows here at Pentecost!"

*****

At daylight next morning the