ped out large quantities of the black material, and poured thick
trains of it from barrel to barrel, sometimes capsizing one, but always
particularly cautious not to rasp a grain of it beneath his grass
slippers and the pavement. Then he took a piece of match-rope, and
sticking one end deep into a barrel, he just poked the other end out of
a loophole, to be in readiness whenever Captain Brand should deem proper
to touch his lighted cigar to it.

"There," said Captain Brand, "that piece of tow will burn about thirty
or forty minutes, and then--stand from under!"

Ascending the hatchway again with the agility of a cat, he drew up and
secured the trap, and in ten minutes afterward he was freshly attired in
a nice pair of India panjammers, a grass cloth jacket and vest--with, of
course, the usual knickknacks in his pockets--and seated at table, where
his busy housekeeper had placed a broiled chicken and a bottle of old
Bordeaux before him.

CHAPTER XXII.

PLEASURE.

"But ever, from that hour, 'tis said,
He stammered and he stuttered,
As if an axe went through his head
With every word he uttered.
He stuttered o'er blessing, he stuttered o'er ban,
He stuttered, drunk or dry;
And none but he and the fisherman
Could tell the reason why."

"Babette," said Captain Brand, as he tapped a spoon against his
coffee-cup and puffed his cigar, while the stout dumb negress was
removing the remains of the light dinner, "Babette, old girl, you know
that we are going to leave here in a few days, and I should like to know
whether you care to go with us or remain here on the island."

The negress made a guttural grunt of assent, and nodded her head till
the ends of her Madras turban fluttered.

"Ho! you do, eh? Well, my Baba, I shall be sorry to leave you, for you
will be very lonely here, and it may be a long, very long time before I
come back."

Babette jerked her chin up this time, and did not grunt.

"It's all the same, eh? old lady! Well, I shall leave enough to eat to
last you a lifetime; but you will have to change your quarters, my Baba,
and live in the padre's shed, for I--a--don't think this house will be
inhabitable long after I am gone."

The negress gave another grunt and nod of assent.

"Yes. Well, old lady, the matter is decided, then; but, in case you
should have any visitors here after we have gone, you won't take any
trouble to describe what you have seen here?