sails, overhauling the boats, and doin' such work that
it was easier to do on shore than on board. Of course we kep' our arms
handy, and old Horn kep' a good watch on board--he dassent put foot on
shore himself--said he was skeered o' fever.

"The natives sent us plenty of food, and a good many of 'em loafed
around on the island, and some on board the luggers and cutter, cadgin'
fur terbacker and biscuit Of course they always carried their clubs and
spears with 'em, as is usual in New Ireland, but they were quiet and
civil enough. Every day canoes were passin' from where we lay to the
main village, and returnin' with other batches of bucks and women all
takin' spells at work; an' there was any amount o' drum beating and _duk
duk_{*} dancin', and old Horn shivered in his boots swearin' they were
comin' to wipe us out But my native crews and I and the other white
divers were used to the nigger customs at such times, and although
we kep' a good watch ashore and afloat, none o' us were afraid of any
trouble comin'.

* The duk duk dance of Melanesia is merely a blackmailing
ceremony by the men to obtain food from the women and the
uninitiated.

"On the fifth night, I, another white diver, named Docky Mason, his
Samoan wife, and a Manahiki sailor named 'Star' were sleeping on shore
in one of the huts. In another hut were three or four New Ireland
niggers, who had brought us some fish and were going away again in the
mornin'.

"About ten o'clock the sky became as black as ink--a heavy blow was
comin' on, and we just had time to stow our loose gear up tidy, when the
wind came down from between the mountains with a roar like thunder, and
away went the roofs of the huts, and with it nearly everything around us
that was not too heavy to be carried away. My own boat, which was lying
on the beach, was lifted up bodily, sent flyin' into the water, and
carried out to sea.

"We tried to make out the cutter's and luggers' lights, but could see
nothing and every second the wind was yellin' louder and louder like
forty thousand cats gone mad, and the air was filled with sticks,
leaves, and sand, and I had a mighty great fear for my little fleet; fur
three miles away to the west, there was a long stretch o' reefs, an' I
was afraid they had dragged and would get mussed up.

"Thet's jest what did happen--though they cleared the reefs by the skin
of their teeth. The moment they began to drag, all three slipped. The
lugg