e flourish, as if he were slaying numbers of
enemies, and his facial distortion was hideous.

"Well, when I was a little un, and went to school," said Jem, "I used to
get spanks if I put out my tongue. Seems as if it's a fine thing to do
out here."

"Yes; it's a way they have when they're going to fight," said the
Englishman thoughtfully. "S'pose it would mean trouble if I were to set
you on to do it; but it wouldn't be at all bad for me if you were both
of you to leave the ship and come ashore."

"To be cooked?" said Jem.

"Bah! Stuff! They'd treat you well. Youngster here's all right; Ngati
would make him his pakeha."

"My pakeha," cried the chief, patting Don again. "Much powder; much
gun."

"Pupil of mine," said the Englishman, smiling; "I taught him our lingo."

"What does he mean?" said Don; "that he'd give me a big gun and plenty
of powder?"

The Englishman laughed.

"No, no; he wants you to bring plenty of guns and powder ashore with you
when you come."

"When I come!" said Don, thoughtfully.

"I sha'n't persuade you, my lad; but you might do worse. You'd be all
right with us; and there are Englishmen here and there beginning to
settle."

"And how often is there a post goes out for England?"

"Post? For England? Letters?"

"Yes."

"I don't know; I've been here a long time now, and I never had a letter
and I never sent one away."

"Then how should I be able to send to my Sally."

"Dunno," said the man. "There, you think it over. Ngati here will be
ready to take care of you, youngster; and matey here shall soon have a
chief to take care of him."

"I don't know so much about that," said Jem. "I should be ready enough
to come ashore, but you've got some precious unpleasant ways out here as
wouldn't suit me."

"You'd soon get used to them," said the Englishman, drily; "and after
leading a rough life, and being bullied by everybody, it isn't half bad
to be a chief, and have a big canoe of your own, and make people do as
you like."

"But then you're a great powerful man," said Don. "They'd obey you, but
they wouldn't obey me."

"Oh, yes, they would, if you went the right way to work. It isn't only
being big. They're big, much bigger all round than Englishmen, and
stronger and more active. They're not afraid of your body, but of your
mind; that's what they can't understand. If I was to write down
something on a bit of wood or a leaf--we don't often see paper here--and
give