hed treble like a boy, till he noticed it himself, and then he
would begin to growl again in almost an angry tone; and this was the
case now.

"Here, you're laughing!" he said savagely. "I can't help being tall and
thin, and having a gruff voice like a man, when I'm only a boy. I don't
try to be big and tall! I grew so. And I don't try to talk gruff."

"Oh yes! you do, Jack," I said.

"Well, p'r'aps I do; but I don't try to talk thin, like I do sometimes."

"I couldn't help laughing, Jack," I said, holding out my hand. "I did
not mean to ridicule you."

He gave my hand quite an angry slap and turned away, but only to come
back directly.

"Here, I say; I beg your pardon, Joe Carstairs," he said, holding out
his hand, which I shook heartily. "I wish I hadn't got such a beastly
bad temper. I do try not to show it, but it makes me wild when people
laugh at me."

"Well, I won't laugh at you any more, Jack," I said earnestly.

"No, don't; there's a good chap," he said, with the tears in his eyes.
"It's partly why I came away from home, you know. I wanted to come and
find the professor, of course, and I like coming for the change; but
it's principally that."

"Principally _that_!" I said. "I don't understand you, Jack."

"Why, I mean about being laughed at! Everybody has always been laughing
at me, because I grew so thin and long and weak-looking, and I got tired
of it at last, and was precious glad to come out to New Guinea to stop
till I had grown thicker. For I said to myself, I don't s'pose the
savage chaps will laugh at me, and if they do I can drop on 'em and they
won't do it again."

"It must have been unpleasant, Jack," I said.

"It's horrid, old fellow," he said confidentially; "and all the more
because you are obliged to laugh at it all when you feel as if you'd
like to double 'em up and jump on 'em."

"Well, there, Jack; I give you my word I won't laugh at you again."

"Will you?" cried Jack, with his face beaming, and looking quite
pleasant. "Well, that is kind of you. If the doctor wouldn't laugh
either I should be as happy as the day's long."

"I'll ask him not to," I said.

"Oh, no; don't do that!" he cried quickly then; "he'd leave off laughing
at me just out of pity, and I'd rather he laughed at me than pitied me,
you know. Don't ask him not."

"All right!" I said. "I will not."

"I'd rather he laughed at me," said Jack again thoughtfully; "for I like
the doctor; he's su