h calm unconcern. "Take him for'ard," he said in drawling tones
to the other three, "and take warning too. Let me see one of you but
look sideways at me or any of my officers, and you'll get a surprise.
Off you go."

Shortly after four bells had struck, as the chief mate was seated on
the skylight smoking his pipe, and thinking of the unnecessary violence
of Captain Rawlings, Barradas, who had the watch, stopped in front of
him.

"Don't you care about turning in?" he asked civilly.

"No, I don't feel a bit sleepy; in fact, I'll be glad when it's eight
bells."

The second mate nodded, took a couple of turns up and down the deck,
and then stopped again. "What do you think of the _Mahina_? She can
sail, eh?"

"She does seem very fast."

"Fastest vessel in the Pacific for her size, but a bit overmasted.
Think I can give her the royals now--the wind is taking off, and sea
going down fast." Then, after he had given the necessary orders, he
began again.

"Heard you were mate of the _Tawera_, mister."

Barry nodded.

"Then you're used to kanakas and their ways"--this half questioningly,
half affirmingly. "These chaps here--most of them, anyway--are
kanakas. Good sailor men too. Better than those ---- swabs we had to
shove in the sail locker until we got to sea. But I daresay we'll
knock some work out of them."

"Did they try to run away, then?"

Barradas grinned. "We didn't give 'em the chance. We're short-handed
as it is."

"I heard that half a dozen of your men had bolted," said Barry.

"Did you? Why, who told you? Oh, the wharf policeman. Yes, that's
right enough; we did lose six men. They were six of our best men,
too--Penrhyn Islanders," and then he quickly moved away, and thrusting
his hands in his pockets seemed deeply interested in the man who was
loosing the fore-royal.

Presently Rawlings came on deck, and said to Barradas--

"Poor Tracey is dead. He breathed his last a few minutes ago." And
then he addressed Barry.

"My poor mate is dead, Mr. Barry."

Barry jumped up in astonishment. "I'm sorry to hear that, sir. And I
had no idea he was on board."

"Yes, poor fellow," replied Rawlings quietly, "he refused to go ashore,
in fact pleaded so hard with me, that I could not resist his wishes.
He hated the idea of dying in an hospital, so I gave way to him."

"What was his illness?"

Rawlings hesitated a moment, and then answered, "I might as well tell
you, though only Mr. Ba