ought off that wood for?"

"Sandalwood, that," explained the savage. "They want it sell dem wood
you."

"Sell!" ejaculated the skipper; "sell! Why, there ain't enough wood
there to light a fire with. Is that all that they've got?--because
there ain't enough there to make it worth my while to open out my
`truck'. I wouldn't give one bandanner handkercher for the whole measly
lot!"

Oahika conferred with his friends for a while, and then turned to the
skipper.

"Mans say," he explained, "that dem wood all it got cut. Plenty more
yonder," pointing generally toward the shore. "They say s'pose you want
it more wood, you go 'shore and show it dem how much you want, and mans
cut it for you."

"Well, I'm jiggered!" exclaimed the skipper explosively. "If I'd ha'
knowed that them few twigs was all that the lazy skunks had got cut,
d'ye think I'd ha' brought the _Marthy_ all this way out of her road to
buy it? No, sirree, not by a jugful! But," he continued, his wrath
subsiding as rapidly as it had blazed up, "seein' that we're here I
s'pose the best thing for me to do'll be to go ashore, have a look at
that there wood, and see if I kin strike a bargain on it. 'T all
events, if I do that I'll be able to choose the best wood they have,
'nstead of buyin' just any blamed stuff that they like to bring off to
me."

"Do you think it will be wise to trust yourself ashore alone with those
fellows?" I asked. "You must remember that we have seen very little of
them, thus far; and it will be well to keep in mind, too, the fact that
they have rather an unenviable reputation for treachery. Why not order
so many canoe-loads of wood from them, and let it go at that?"

"Well--no--I guess not," answered the skipper. "If I do that they'll
work off all their worst stuff on me, and I'll just have to take it or
go without. No; I reckon I'll go ashore and pick my own wood: then I
shall know that I'm gettin' full vally for my money. But I won't go
alone; I guess I'll take two hands with me, and we'll go fully armed. I
don't believe in takin' no unnecessary risks."

"No," I agreed; "there is no sense in that sort of thing. Who will you
take with you? Would you care to have Mr Cunningham and myself with
you?"

"No, I guess not," answered Brown with decision. "I'll take Mr
Cunnin'ham and one o' the foremast hands with me; but you'll stay here,
Mr Temple, and look a'ter the ship. And I guess I'll go right now;
then we shall