offee,
plenty fei. Nutha man him tome too.'

'I guess we'll drop right in,' observed the captain; and he and his
companions hastened up the plank. They were welcomed on board with the
shaking of hands; place was made for them about the basin; a sticky
demijohn of molasses was added to the feast in honour of company, and
an accordion brought from the forecastle and significantly laid by the
performer's side.

'Ariana,' said he lightly, touching the instrument as he spoke; and
he fell to on a long savoury fei, made an end of it, raised his mug of
coffee, and nodded across at the spokesman of the crew. 'Here's your
health, old man; you're a credit to the South Pacific,' said he.

With the unsightly greed of hounds they glutted themselves with the hot
food and coffee; and even the clerk revived and the colour deepened in
his eyes. The kettle was drained, the basin cleaned; their entertainers,
who had waited on their wants throughout with the pleased hospitality of
Polynesians, made haste to bring forward a dessert of island tobacco and
rolls of pandanus leaf to serve as paper; and presently all sat about
the dishes puffing like Indian Sachems.

'When a man 'as breakfast every day, he don't know what it is,' observed
the clerk.

'The next point is dinner,' said Herrick; and then with a passionate
utterance: 'I wish to God I was a Kanaka!'

'There's one thing sure,' said the captain. 'I'm about desperate, I'd
rather hang than rot here much longer.' And with the word he took the
accordion and struck up. 'Home, sweet home.'

'O, drop that!' cried Herrick, 'I can't stand that.'

'No more can I,' said the captain. 'I've got to play something though:
got to pay the shot, my son.' And he struck up 'John Brown's Body' in
a fine sweet baritone: 'Dandy Jim of Carolina,' came next; 'Rorin the
Bold,' 'Swing low, Sweet Chariot,' and 'The Beautiful Land' followed.
The captain was paying his shot with usury, as he had done many a
time before; many a meal had he bought with the same currency from the
melodious-minded natives, always, as now, to their delight.

He was in the middle of 'Fifteen Dollars in the Inside Pocket,' singing
with dogged energy, for the task went sore against the grain, when a
sensation was suddenly to be observed among the crew.

'Tapena Tom harry my,' said the spokesman, pointing.

And the three beachcombers, following his indication, saw the figure of
a man in pyjama trousers and a white jumper approach