e he said he would come
and see you. His daughter is going on to the Carolines with us, and
he has just now gone off to his station to bring her on board, as the
captain wants to get away at daylight in the morning." Then with a
pleasant nod he moved his chair some little distance away, and began
talking business with the two traders.

Carr, lying on his side with half-closed eyes, apparently was trying
to sleep, in reality he was studying the supercargo's face. It was a
handsome, "taking" sort of face, rather full and a bit coarse perhaps,
deeply browned by tropic suns, and lit up by a pair of jet black eyes,
which, when the possessor was in a good temper and laughed, seemed to
dance in unison. Yet they were eyes that in a moment could narrow and
show an ugly gleam, that boded ill for the object of their owner's
resentment. His curly hair and beard were jet black also, save here and
there where they were streaked with grey, and his figure, stout, but
close and well-knit together, showed him to be a man of great strength
and activity.

From the face of the supercargo Carr let his glance light upon the
figure of Captain Louis Hendry, who was standing at the break of the
poop talking to the chief mate. He was a small, slightly-built man of
about fifty years of age, with regular features, and wore a flowing grey
beard trimmed to a point. His eyes were those of the true Scandinavian,
a bright steely blue, though at the present moment the whites were
bloodshot and angry-looking. As he talked he kept stroking his beard,
and directing sullen glances at the crew, who were still working hard at
hoisting in the bags of copra. It was not a pleasant face to look at--a
sullen ill-humour seemed to glower forth from under the bushy grey
eyebrows, and vie with a nervous, sneaking apprehensiveness, as if he
every moment feared to be struck from behind. That he was a bit of a
dandy was very evident, for although his navy serge coat and cap were
soiled and dirty, they were both heavily trimmed with gold lace--a most
unusual adornment for the master of an island trading steamer. Like his
supercargo, he carried a revolver at his side, and at this Carr looked
with a contemptuous smile, for neither of the two traders, who actually
lived on the island, thought it necessary to carry arms, though the
natives of Taputeauea, as Drummond's Island was called, had a bad
reputation.

An hour after sunset, and whilst supper was proceeding in the sal