d he give her the Old Harry and
her wages. She wouldn't hunt for him, not until she was ordered to.
She'd be only too glad to have him out of the way.

"'Humph!' says I. 'Then I cal'late we'll enjoy the scenery on this
garden spot of creation until the week's up.'

"'What do you mean?' says he.

"'Well,' I says, 'the launch is out of commission, unless it should
rain gasoline, and at this time of year there ain't likely to be a boat
within hailin' distance of this island; 'specially if the weather holds
bad.'

"He swore a blue streak, payin' partic'lar attention to the housekeeper
for her general stupidness and to me because I'd got him, so he said,
into this scrape. I didn't say nothin'; set the table, with one plate
and one cup and sasser and knife and fork, hauled up a chair and set
down to my breakfast. He hauled up a box and set down, too.

"'Pass me that corn bread,' says he. 'And why didn't you fry more pork?'

"He was reachin' out for the johnnycake, but I pulled it out of his way.

"'Wait a minute, Mr. Williams,' says I. 'While you was snoozin' last
night I made out a kind of manifest of the vittles aboard this shanty.
'Cordin' to my figgerin' here's scursely enough to last one husky man
a week, let along two husky ones. I paid consider'ble attention to your
preachin' yesterday and the text seemed to be to look out for number
one. Now in this case I'm the one and I've got to look out for myself.
This is my shanty, my island, and my grub. So please keep your hands off
that johnnycake.'

"For a minute or so he set still and stared at me. Didn't seem to sense
the situation, as you might say. Then the red biled up in his face and
over his bald head like a Fundy tide.

"'Why, you dummed villain!' he shouts. 'Do you mean to starve me?'

"'You won't starve in a week,' says I, helpin' myself to pork. 'A feller
named Tanner, that I read about years ago, lived for forty days on cold
water and nothin' else. There's the pump right over in the corner. It's
my pump, but I'll stretch a p'int and not charge for it this time.'

"'You--you--' he stammers, shakin' all over, he was so mad. 'Didn't I
hire you--'

"'You hired me to take you out to the fishin' grounds and back, provided
the launch was made ready by YOU. It wa'n't ready, so THAT contract's
busted. And you was to furnish your extrys and I was to furnish mine.
Here they be and I need 'em. It's as legitimate a deal as ever I see;
perfect case of supply and