of this 'ere crew are
what people call mollottoes. They are supposed to be painted white men,
but payed over with a dirty tar-brush. Talk about a easy-going lot!
Why, I aren't seen one of them do a stroke of work to-day. They are in
the ile trade, aren't they, sir? Palm-oil."

"Yes, Joe; I suppose so."

"Ah, that accounts for it, sir. Handling so much ile that it makes them
go so easy."

The sailor burst into a long soft laugh, "What are you laughing at,
Joe?"

"That warn't laughing, sir; that was smiling. When I laugh hearty you
can hear me a long way off."

"Well, what were you smiling at?"

"I was thinking, sir, about how it would be if our old man had that lot
under him. My word, how he'd wake them up! Poor, simple, sleepy
beggars! It would set them thinking that they hadn't took a skipper
aboard, but a human hurricane. I wonder who owns that there craft, and
whether he gets anything out of the oil trade. _Viva_, indeed! Yes,
our old man would give them something to _viva_ about. Their skipper
too--nice way of coming up a river to get a cargo. Well, I suppose they
get their tobacco pretty cheap; and that's how the world turns round."

Another day glided by, with steady visible progress in the brig's
repairs; and the Count seemed in better spirits, and said a few
complimentary words to the skipper.

On board the schooner Captain Chubb appeared to be setting an example to
the Spaniards, for those of his crew who were not helping the carpenters
at the brig were kept busy holystoning, polishing, and coiling down
ropes into accurate concentric rings, till the _Maid of Salcombe_ was as
smart as any yacht.

Meanwhile the Spaniards lined the bulwarks of their vessel, smoked and
yawned, and watched the reptile shooting, and then stared in sleepy
wonderment at the busy smartening up of the English schooner.

The evening came, and this time the Spanish captain had himself rowed
across again, to find that it was the doctor who was leaning over the
side with his nephew, and, cigarette in mouth still, the man said
slowly--

"He tell you about the birds and the monkeys up the little river?"

"Yes," said the doctor, "and I've been thinking about it."

"Ah, yes," said the Spaniard. "I am going to stop a fortnight yet
before it's time to go up with my cargo. I'll make my men row you up to
the mouth of that little river; and I could show you something you'd
like, but you would have to take your guns--y