g on the ground rose too.

"But the snow, sir," said one. "What does that mean?"

"Why, look--can't you see!" replied he, drawing his hand over his face
and showing it to the speaker.

"Lor' bless us!" ejaculated the sailor. "It's only smut from the
chimbley."

"Ah! it came from a bigger chimney than we have here," said Mr Meldrum.
"There has been a volcanic eruption on the island; and what we all
thought was black snow was only the ashes thrown up from the crater, and
these have now been brought down from the higher air by the descending
ram."

"Snakes and alligators!" exclaimed Mr Lathrope, who was one of the last
to get on his long legs and when he did so appeared to touch the ground
as tenderly "as if he were a cat treading on hot eggs," as Mr McCarthy
said. "If I wurn't clean took in, and thought the outlandish thing wer
nat'ral, like the red rain I've heerd folks tell o' seeing in some parts
of the world! I guess you was startled, too, mister, and kinder frit!"

"I confess I was, at first," replied Mr Meldrum, "till I felt the
earthquake. Then I recollected about the volcano."

"Oh! the one down south, that we seed to leeward when the old ship poked
her nose on the reef?"

"The same," said the other. "It was smoking then; and we've just had
the eruption. It is pretty nearly over, I think, however, for the ashes
are not falling quite so thickly now."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Mr Lathrope. "Gin it didn't stop soon,
we'd all be transmogrified inter blacker niggers than the cook haar!"

"I ain't no nigger, massa!" interposed Snowball, feeling his dignity
insulted by the remark.

"My crickey!" ejaculated the American, emitting a shrill whistle of
astonishment at the naive assertion. "Then what, in the name of George
Washington and Abe Lincoln rolled into one, air you, sir-ree!"

"I'se a 'spectable collud genlemun," replied the darkey pompously.

"I guess you'll do," said Mr Lathrope laughing. "Jest hear that, now!
Waal, never mind, my Ethiopian serenader," he added good-humouredly.
"You're none the worse fur your colour, as fur as I ken see; and I will
say this fur you, that you're the slickest and smartest ship's cook I
ever came across from Maine to Californy; and that's saying something!"

"Tank you, massa," replied Snowball, much flattered by the compliment.
"I make you one good rabbit-pie next time I'se get rabbits."

"That's a bargain!" said Mr Lathrope; and there the incident ende