Says Bill to Jos, You had better not. I have floored many a man who could beat you with his little finger, and so, Jos, to my mind, you will get the worst of it.
I pulled out my pipe and lighted it, for, dye see, theres nothing like a bit of baccy for keeping a man cool, and cool I wanted to be just then. This showed them more than anything else what I was made of.
There Bill stood waiting to see what Jos would do, while the rest gathered round edging Jos on. Jos doubled his fists, getting nearer and nearer to Bill, and at last made a hit at him. In a moment Bills arms were unfolded, and he struck out and caught Joss ugly face a blow which sent him reeling backwards, till he lay kicking like a turtle on his back.
Sarve you right, Jos,
cried out several voices, and now most of the crew seemed to side with Bill.
Jos had had enough of it, and sneaked below to bathe his jaws in water.
I shook Bill by the hand and thanked him, and we were friends ever afterwards.
Bill told me that the craft I had so curiously found myself aboard was the Catfish, and that she was on a voyage round the islands to pick up sandal-wood, cocoa-nut oil, or pearls, which he told me were to be found among some of the low-lying coral islands to the eastward.
I shall like well enough to go after pearls, I observed; for I know their value and the price people on shore will give for them.
That made me ship on board the Catfish, said Bill. I remember my mother used to wear such things in her hair, and that a small string of them was worth some hundred pounds, and I thought that if I could get a few I should be a rich man, and be able to go back to Old England, for I am pretty well sick of this sort of life, though, mate, as you know, when a man is down in the world its a hard job to get up again.
Then I suppose, Bill, from what you say, you are a gentlemans son, and you have come out to these parts to make your fortune, I remarked.
Yes, I am well born, and might have been very different from what I am, he answered with a sigh. But I came away to sea because I was a wild scamp, and no one could make anything of me at home. However, if I can get hold of a few of those pearls, so as to start fair, I intend to turn over a new leaf, and go back to my friends, provided I can do so with a good coat on my back, and not like the ragged beggar I have been of late. I have got a few articles to trade with, and I shipped on condition that I should do what I liked with them.
Ill help you, my lad, as far as I can, said I, for I had taken a fancy to Bill, who might have been all he said of himself. To my notion he was as brave and warm-hearted a fellow as ever stepped.
I have already described the various ways the sandal-wood traders manage to obtain their cargoes. Our captain was in no degree more particular than most of them, and played a few odd tricks among the natives to get what he wanted. On one occasion we got a chief on board, and the captain told him that he must make his people cut a dozen boat-loads of sandal-wood, or we would carry him away as a prisoner to Sydney. The chief refused, and declared that the wood was not to be got. On this the captain called two or three of his people on board, and then had him triced up and gave him a dozen, and told him that he should have it every morning if the wood was not forthcoming. Still the savage held out, and he was heard to tell his people not to bring any.
Next morning some of his people came off, when, as they brought no wood, preparations were made to give him another dozen. On seeing this his courage gave way, and he told his people to go back and get the wood. He got his dozen though, for the captain was a man to keep his word on those sort of matters.
Two or three boat-loads came off that very evening, and in a couple of days all the captain asked for was supplied. The chief was then set at liberty, and told to go about his business.
The captain observed that he was doing his duty to his owners, and getting a cargo in the cheapest way he could; he seemed, indeed, to pride himself on his cleverness.
As sandal-wood was becoming scarce in most of the islands, we took on board, whenever we had the opportunity, as many casks of cocoa-nut oil as we could collect; but pearls were our chief object, and we continued our voyage till we reached the island I mentioned.
The natives were said to be friendly to white men, and therefore we had no fear of them. They had a few pearls already, which the captain took in exchange for some of the beads, cutlery, looking-glasses, and trinkets we had brought to trade with. He then told the natives that they must go off in their canoes to the reef where the pearl-oysters were to be found, and be quick in bringing him as many as he wanted, threatening them if they were not sharp about it he would carry off their chiefs, cut down their cocoa-nut trees, and leave their wives and children to starve. This made them all alive, though they grumbled a little, and every evening they returned bringing a fair supply of shells. They dared not refuse to work, seeing that they had no muskets; and as their island was perfectly flat, they had no place to fly to and hide themselves, so that by landing a few of our men we could, if we had wished, have burned their huts, cut down their trees, and have carried off as many of them as we wanted.