te of all the love I
don't bear for 'em, they're the blackest and shiniest set of fellows I
ever did see. Look at their backs in the warm light; why, you might see
to shave in 'em--well, I might; you're lucky enough not to have any
beard yet."

"It don't seem as if I shall live to have one, Ned."

"Tchah! nonsense. You'll live to a hundred now. This voyage has made a
man of you, my lad. All you've got to do is to keep up your pluck. I
say, look at 'em, Mr Jack; they paddle splendid. Talk about our
boat-races; why look here, I'd back these chaps. What's that old song?
You know; voices keep toon and our oars keep time--only it's paddles.
Row, brothers, row. Keep it up, niggers. Slaves indeed! why they're
the slaves, not us; we're sitting here as jolly as two lords in a
'lectric launch, going down to Richmond to eat whitebait and drink
champagne. Let's see though, I don't mean Richmond, I mean Blackwall.
Let's think we've got a crew of blacks taking us to Blackwall."

"Why, Ned!" cried Jack excitedly, "they're paddling straight across the
lagoon for the reef."

"That's right, Mr Jack; so they are," said Ned recklessly. "Hooray!
who cares! Go it, you black beggars. I say, Mr Jack, sir, look; did
you ever see such lovely heads of hair? They'd make splendid
grenadiers, and be an advantage to Government to 'list a lot of 'em.
They'd come so cheap. They wouldn't want any clothes, and there they
are with their busbies a-growing already on their heads. Might call 'em
the Blackguards, and that's what they are."

"But, Ned, this long low canoe can never weather the waves on the reef."

"It can, sir, or they wouldn't go for it. Tend upon it they know a
place where they can get over, and that's how they came. What do it
matter to them if she fills with water? they only pop out over both
sides, and hold on and slop it out again, and then jump in. Water runs
off them like it does off ducks' backs. I believe they oil themselves
all over instead of using a bit of honest soap. Don't matter though;
the dirt can't show. My word, we are going it. Straight for the reef."

Ned was right; the long canoe with its fifty men paddling glided over
the calm lagoon straight for where the great billows came curving over
on to the coral reef with a deep boom, and it was now not above a
quarter of a mile away.

"Take tightly hold of the side, Ned," said Jack excitedly. "You are
right, they will manage it, I suppose, or th