hinking it better to be civil.

"Did you, though, mister? Find him?"

"Yes, I found him right enough."

"Did you, though? Old man all right?"

"Quite right."

"Didn't stop with him, though?"

"No, we are all going home together."

"Wonder at it when you might stay in A-murray-kay. I say, mister, you
know, what's in them chesties?"

He accompanied the question with a wink and a grin, and pointed over his
shoulder towards the cases.

"I told you," I replied, "curiosities."

"Are they, though? Wonder what the custom chaps would call 'em when
they overhauled them, eh?"

I was silent, for it was evident that the fellow suspected me of a
desire to evade the regular authorities of the port.

"Come, mister," he said with a grin, evidently divining my thoughts,
"out with it, come; you want them chesties smuggled off on the quiet,
don't you now? Best take 'Badiah P. Perks into confidence, I guess;
makes it smooth for all parties."

"If you like to take our party and luggage to New York, Mr Perks," I
said quietly, "I am ready, as my uncle will be ready, to pay you well
for the passage. Is it agreed?"

"Luggage, of course, mister; but them there arn't luggage. Curiosities,
didn't you say? What's in 'em?"

"That is my affair, Mr Perks."

"'Badiah P. Perks, please mister. Now, then, is it square and
confidence, and 'Badiah P. Perks' friends, or isn't it?"

"I shall place every confidence in the captain of our vessel, Mr
Perks."

"'Badiah P. Perks, mister."

"Mr Obadiah P. Perks," I said.

"Drop that O, stranger. Don't belong. 'Badiah P. Perks, mister."

"Mr 'Badiah P. Perks," I said.

"And my folks calls me Kyaptin," said the skipper. "Say, it's wonderful
how much ignorance there is 'mongst you Englishers. Wal, I won't say
I'll take you, stranger, till I've brought one o' these here yellow
nigger officers to look over them chesties, and see if there's anything
in 'em as is contraband."

I could not help changing colour, and the fellow saw it. He suspected
my motives evidently, and with a smile he turned to go, reaching the
door slowly and then pausing, as if he expected me to call him back, but
as I did not he hesitated.

"Say, mister," he said, "s'pose anny time'll do for me to bring down the
yaller nigger chap?"

I was so wroth with the scoundrel and his cool impudence that I took a
defiant tone and said shortly:

"Any time you like, Captain Perks."

"'Badiah P. Perks, mister. Al