In Strange Company

abode and confronted him, he

u look as doleful as the man whose wife ran away with a tinker, and to

e him to advise me. He curled himself up on his bed opposite me, swinging his legs and

nd on one of the islands out yonder?" he began, jerking his thumb

odd

told you she was a

t was hardly likely she would.

doesn't want to get you out to sea, and then collar the whol

er taken his eyes off me, but looked me through and through as if endeavouring to read my very soul. He was evidently revolving some problem

ey' to cross, but any man'll tell you I make an up and down good friend. As I say, I've taken a fancy to you, and what's more, I've scraped

tell? She s

gh to think you can't

think so, I am. Wha

head musingly. Pr

to hire a schooner for the trip do

e she hasn't told me

nd dropped his voice almost to a whisper-"if you think your chance with her hangs

not have been more surprised. He was the last man in the world I should have expected to receive

eeing you know nothing about me;

right hone

bed, and now stood before me as weird a picture

it or leave it, just as you please. Up to three hundr

you. Remember, bar what I've told

ou may before I die. At any rate, there it is, and good luck go with you. Only, remember your promise-not a

ould have been so quick to accept it; but not being able to see into the future, of cou

I made my excuses, and set off for the t

e threshold, listening to the music of Juanita's voice within. When I entered, it was to find her leaning across the counter, in earnest conversation with a tall Pearler, whom I had seen hovering about her before. Now, it was a curious thing, t

ice of my entrance, but returned to her conversation with the stranger, leaving me to cool my heels and scowl till she should deign to speak to me. After a while the Pearler seemed to

," sh

ied, now thoro

" she continued spitefully, "you'd better

re very much mistaken. I wouldn't quarrel with you to-night for a thousand pounds. But I'll tell you what I will do; I'l

you're also very cruel. I must refuse to talk to you

u a bet you'll be sorry for this. I came to tell you some news about your schooner

ng on my heel an

I was in about as vile a temper as it would be possible to be. So, unable to trust mysel

the Albino's door. With a yearning for some one to impart my sorrows to, I made towards it, and ente

n't deny it; I can see it in your face. Well, you're

nce full of such withering contem

ly a school-girl! Did she forget to say he was a pretty b

being unwilling to quarrel with him too, I

case which did duty for a chair; "sit down and tell me what you propose t

ha

fast here, my boy, and then go back

d. "I'll see yo

hooses to give you. Do you think I'm going to let you spoil this contract for

he won't be

ought to be able to do what you like with her. Then you'll let her understand tha

ke making m

ovel, or quarrel with me. Now just pack your t

ortification Hill, gazing across the blue strip of sea to where the mainland of Australia pushes its head up above the horizon. Numbers of white-sailed pearling craft dotted the bay; a missionary schooner was going about on her second board

when I had seated myself beside her, fell to crying, and bitterly reproaching herself for what she termed her "wickedness" on the precedi

ou don't know how angry I've been with myself for tr

When I told her the good news her rapture knew no bounds; she lavished kisses upon me, calling me by all sorts of pet names, bo

k you can get? There's Phelp's Ocean Queen, but she's too large; there

e big enough; and I know Jameson would let us buy her outright f

ing her hands. "You must go and see about her this ve

th such an air of entreaty that I convinced my

d up, stores, and a thousand and one things to be attended to, that all take time. What's more, I expect

my Jack, m

after to-morrow

mpatient of even an hour's delay; but she soon regained her spi

ted on a bench, sunning himself between drinks; and as it was about time to hunt up another, I invited him to step inside the shanty and lubricate at my expens

tring of abuse regarding the unfortunate vessel. She was too big for diving purposes; she cost twice as much to keep up as he could afford;

ish you coul

eplied with considerable energy. "I'm dead sick

ere the object of his animadversions lay swinging to

but I'll tell you what I will do. I'll make you a present of that craft for two fifty, cash on the nail, and lose a hundred p

that such a thing as my accepting it never for an in

cash on the capstan when you please," there n

you don't mean to go and say you'

e was almos

e offered me the Mother of Pearl for two hundred and fifty pounds. I offer two h

the way to the beach, and p

seating myself comfort

ng to a Solomon boy who stood watching us, "just you jump in and put us aboard the Mother of

her good and bad qualities. When I had made up my mind, I turned to look for the owner. He was in the bo

is it to b

not a red

best judge of that. She's not worth two hundred,

only buy the new boat he wanted, but would enable him to extend h

he said, "and I ke

h it's giving you the whole

lied, and the next mo

nd fix up the papers. I'll be along wi

ere we had met, while I made across the island to th

ve you talked her over? But there, of course you have

chooner Mother of Pearl

gers to clear them of soap-suds, led the way into the house

for two hundred pounds? Very good. You'll w

rawer a leather bag whi

'll find it correct

y little table; three hundred sovereigns in bright gold

ve you breathed a word of my existence to your sweetheart? Think car

replied, "and I have kept it; if y

oubt you, not a bit of it; I only wanted to be sure

ty, but he would not let me. One thing was certain; the more I t

ney." Then leaving him to drink himself into delirium tremens, I pushed on to the "Orient," that I might inform Juanita of my success. Her enthusiasm

exercised in my mind regarding him, I returned to make my final preparations. Shortly after midday I escorted Juanita (who had said farewell to the "Orient," amid much lamentation) ab

ikely to serve the purpose for which we required her, every bit as well as one costing ten thousand pounds could have done. The best description of her would be to say that

llow. The crew were Kanakas, with a China

es in my heart that will not be suppressed; a longing that is not without a touch of sadness and regret. It is impossible, I have to tell myself, that I can expect to cross an old trail without some mixture of pain. Can I, in this fog-ridden England, hope

hat, madly infatuated as I was with the woman who accompanied me, I viewed the prospect of calms

set, I was able to tell Juanita, that in all probability another twenty-four

Vanua Lava appeared above the horizon. By tea-time the schooner had brought the island abeam, and before darkness fell we w