y had been here they
employed the natives to cut a cargo of sandal-wood for them; and when
they had got it on board, they refused to pay what they had promised,
saying that they would come back again, and that it would then be time
enough to talk about payment. When they saw you they thought that you
were people of the same sort, and so were going to treat you as they had
done the others."

"I must confess," said Green, "that the Englishmen met their deserts.
But how did you manage to escape, my man; and what brought you to the
island?"

"Arrah, yer honour, it's a long story; and about the escaping, it was a
narrow squeak I had for it. You see, when I was paid off from the
_Tudor_ at Portsmouth, I went up to London, when I entered on board an
emigrant ship bound out to Sydney. While I was on shore there one day,
and had been taking my grog pretty freely, a chap I had never set eyes
on before hailed me as an old chum, and telling me he was now skipper of
a fine schooner, axed me if I would join her, and promised that I should
fill my pockets with gold in a few months. As they were just then
turned clean inside out, and I had had my spree on shore, without more
ado I closed with him; and before I knew where I was going, I found
myself stowed away on board the schooner, which at daybreak next morning
sailed out of Sydney Harbour. The craft, I discovered, was engaged in
the sandal-wood trade, cruising among the islands, and getting it as
best she could, sometimes in one way, and sometimes in another, and very
curious ways they were. We made several trips, and each time came back
with a full cargo. At some places we got the natives to cut the wood
and bring it off, paying them with beads and trinkets when they were
content with such things; at others with rum, muskets, and powder and
shot. When no natives appeared, we went on shore ourselves to cut the
wood.

"At last the skipper took a new dodge, for he was in no ways particular.
Having put in to a harbour where the natives were friendly, he enticed
above three dozen off, making them large promises if they would cut wood
for him, and undertaking to bring them home again as soon as they had
done the job. All seemed very fair and above board; we at once sailed
for one of the islands to the westward, which is inhabited by blacks of
a terribly fierce character, but where plenty of sandal-wood grows.
Having landed our passengers, we went on shore, well armed, to keep