ons. Now's my turn. Whar you comes fro'?"

"From England," replied Nigel.

"An' whar you go to?"

"Well, you've posed me now, for I really don't know where I'm going to.
In fact that is the very thing I have been trying to find out all day,
so if you'll help me I'll be much obliged."

Here Nigel explained his position and difficulties, and it was quite
obvious, judging from the glittering eyes and mobile mouth, that he
poured his tale into peculiarly sympathetic ears. When he had finished,
the negro stood for a considerable time gazing in meditative silence at
the sky.

"Yes," he said at last, as if communing with himself, "I t'ink--I ain't
quite sure, but I t'ink--I may ventur'."

"Whatever it is you are thinking about," remarked Nigel, "you may
venture to say anything you like to _me_."

The negro, who, although comparatively short of stature, was Herculean
in build, looked at the youth with an amused expression.

"You're bery good, sar, but dat's not what I's t'inkin' ob. I's
t'inkin' whedder I dar' ventur' to introdoce you to my massa. He's not
fond o' company, an' it might make 'im angry, but he came by a heaby
loss lately an' p'raps he may cond'send to receibe you. Anyhow you'd be
quite safe, for he's sure to be civil to any friend ob mine."

"Is he then so fierce?" asked Nigel, becoming interested as well as
amused.

"Fierce! no, he's gentle as a lamb, but he's awrful when he's roused--
tigers, crokindiles, 'noceroses is nuffin' to him!"

"Indeed! what's his name, and what does he do? how does he live?"

The negro shook his head. "Da's more'n I dar tell till I ax his leave,
sar. I kin only say de peepil around calls 'im the hermit ob Rakata,
'cause he libs by his-self (wid me, ob course, but _I_ counts for
nuffin'), close under de ole volcano ob Krakatoa. Dey tink--some ob de
foolish peepil--dat he hab sold his-self to de dibil, but I knows
better. He's a good man, and you'd hab great fun if you stop wid him.
Now, what I's a-gwine to advise you is, come wid me an' see de hermit.
If he lets you stop, good. If not, I fetch you ober to de main land--
whar you please--an' you kin come back here or go whar you choose. Its
wort' your while to take your chance, anyhow."

The negro said this with such an earnest look that Nigel made up his
mind on the spot to accept this curious invitation.

"I'll go!" he exclaimed with sudden energy. "When do you start?"

"To-morrer at daybreak, sar."

"