ers?"

"Perhaps I do, Captain Carton," answers Pordage, waving his hand, with
dignity; "perhaps I do not. It is not customary, sir, for Government to
commit itself."

"It matters very little, Mr. Pordage, whether or no. Believing that I
hold my commission by the allowance of God, and not that I have received
it direct from the Devil, I shall certainly use it, with all avoidance of
unnecessary suffering and with all merciful swiftness of execution, to
exterminate these people from the face of the earth. Let me recommend
you to go home, sir, and to keep out of the night-air."

Never another syllable did that officer say to the Commissioner, but
turned away to his men. The Commissioner buttoned his Diplomatic coat to
the chin, said, "Mr. Kitten, attend me!" gasped, half choked himself, and
took himself off.

It now fell very dark, indeed. I have seldom, if ever, seen it darker,
nor yet so dark. The moon was not due until one in the morning, and it
was but a little after nine when our men lay down where they were
mustered. It was pretended that they were to take a nap, but everybody
knew that no nap was to be got under the circumstances. Though all were
very quiet, there was a restlessness among the people; much what I have
seen among the people on a race-course, when the bell has rung for the
saddling for a great race with large stakes on it.

At ten, they put off; only one boat putting off at a time; another
following in five minutes; both then lying on their oars until another
followed. Ahead of all, paddling his own outlandish little canoe without
a sound, went the Sambo pilot, to take them safely outside the reef. No
light was shown but once, and that was in the commanding officer's own
hand. I lighted the dark lantern for him, and he took it from me when he
embarked. They had blue lights and such like with them, but kept
themselves as dark as Murder.

The expedition got away with wonderful quietness, and Christian George
King soon came back dancing with joy.

"Yup, So-Jeer," says he to myself in a very objectionable kind of
convulsions, "Christian George King sar berry glad. Pirates all be blown
a-pieces. Yup! Yup!"

My reply to that cannibal was, "However glad you may be, hold your noise,
and don't dance jigs and slap your knees about it, for I can't abear to
see you do it."

I was on duty then; we twelve who were left being divided into four
watches of three each, three hours' spell. I was