ault; but it sets you against him, and he's got so
much pump in him."

"Pump?"

"Yes; always getting out of you everything you are going to do, and who
you are, and where you come from."

"Yes, he does question pretty well."

"He just does. Very well, then; I want to know who he is, and where he
comes from, and what he's going to be up to. Do you know?"

"No, not in the least."

"Same here. Well, I don't like a man who's so close, and the sooner we
both shake hands with him, and say good-bye, the better I shall like
it."

"Well, Esau, I'm beginning to feel like that," I said, "myself."

"That's right, then, and we shan't quarrel over that bit o' business.
Soon be there now, I think, shan't we?"

"To-morrow about this time," said a familiar voice; and we both started,
for Gunson was standing close behind us. "Didn't you hear me come up?"

"No," I said hurriedly; and he laughed a little, rather unpleasantly, I
thought, and walked forward to stand with his elbows on the bulwark
watching the distant shore.

"There!" whispered Esau. "Now would a fellow who was all right and
square come and listen to all we said like that? Seems to be always
creeping up behind you."

"I don't think he did that purposely."

"Well then, I do. You always take his part, no matter what I say; and
it sometimes seems to me as if you were pitching me over, so as to take
up with him."

"That's right, Esau," I replied. "That is why we sailed off together,
and left you in the lurch."

Esau pressed his lips together, gave his foot a stamp, and then pushed
close up to me.

"Here," he said, "punch my head, please. Do. I wish you would. My
tongue's always saying something I don't mean."

I did not punch Esau's head, and the little incident was soon forgotten
in the interest of the rest of our journey. For we sailed on now in
bright sunshine, the uneasy motion of the schooner was at an end, and
there was always something fresh to see. Now it was a whale, then a
shoal of fish of some kind, and sea-birds floating here and there. Then
some mountain peak came into view, with lovely valleys and vast forests
of pines--scene after scene of beauty that kept us on deck till it was
too dark to see anything, and tempted us on deck again the moment it was
light.

By midday we were in the port of Victoria, where the skipper began at
once to discharge his cargo, and hence we were not long before our
chests were on the rough timber wh