's made them suspicious. Hang it, man, be reasonable; you
must see they are bound to be suspicious."

Captain Kettle's brown face grew darker in tint, and he spoke with
visible shame. "I've come by a living, sir, honest, but I couldn't bear
it to be told aloud here to all the world how it was done. I may be
down, Mr. Sheriff, but I have my pride still."

Sheriff spread his hands helplessly. "That's no kind of answer," he
said. "They won't let you continue to stay here in Lagos on an
explanation like that. Come now, Kettle, be sensible: put yourself in
the authorities' place. They've got a town to administer--a big
town--that not thirty years ago was the most murderous, fanatical, rowdy
dwelling of slave-traders on the West Coast of Africa. To-day, by dint
of careful shepherding, they've reduced it to a city of quiet
respectability, with a smaller crime rate than Birmingham; and in fact
made it into a model town suitable for a story-book. You don't see the
Government much, but you bet it's there, and you bet it isn't asleep.
You can bet also that the nigger people here haven't quite forgotten the
old days, and would like to be up to a bit of mischief every now and
again, just for old association's sake, which of course the Government
is quite aware of.

"Now there's nothing that can stir up niggers into ructions against a
white man's government better than a white man, as has been proved tons
of times already, and here are you already on the carpet quite equal to
the job. I don't say you are up to mischief, nor does the Government,
but you must see for yourself that they'd be fools if they didn't play
for safety and ship you off out of harm's way."

"I must admit," said Kettle ruefully, "that there's sense in what you
say, sir."

"Are you going to give a free and open explanation of your means of
employment here in Lagos, and earn the right to stay on openly, or are
you going to still stick to the mysterious?"

The little sailor frowned. "No, sir," he said; "as I told you before, I
have my pride."

"Very-well, then. Now, are you going to be the Distressed Seaman, and be
jeered at all the run home as you cadge round for your 'baccy money, or
are you going to do the sensible thing, and step into this billet I've
put in your way?"

"You corner me."

"I'm glad to hear it, and let me tell you it hasn't been for want of
trying. Man, if I hadn't liked you, I would not have taken all this
trouble to put a soft thing