from the coast.

And perhaps the ghosts of old adventurers nodded wisely their ghostly
heads and exchanged the ghost of a wistful smile.

V

"What's the matter with King Tom of late?" would ask someone when, all
the cards in a heap on the table, the traders lying back in their chairs
took a spell from a hard gamble.

"Tom has learned to hold his tongue, he must be up to some dam' good
thing," opined another; while a man with hooked features and of German
extraction who was supposed to be agent for a Dutch crockery house--the
famous "Sphinx" mark--broke in resentfully:

"Nefer mind him, shentlemens, he's matt, matt as a Marsh Hase. Dree
monats ago I call on board his prig to talk pizness. And he says like
dis--'Glear oudt.' 'Vat for?' I say. 'Glear oudt before I shuck you
oferboard.' Gott-for-dam! Iss dat the vay to talk pizness? I vant sell
him ein liddle case first chop grockery for trade and--"

"Ha, ha, ha! I don't blame Tom," interrupted the owner of a pearling
schooner, who had come into the Roads for stores. "Why, Mosey, there
isn't a mangy cannibal left in the whole of New Guinea that hasn't got a
cup and saucer of your providing. You've flooded the market, savee?"

Jorgenson stood by, a skeleton at the gaming table.

"Because you are a Dutch spy," he said, suddenly, in an awful tone.

The agent of the Sphinx mark jumped up in a sudden fury.

"Vat? Vat? Shentlemens, you all know me!" Not a muscle moved in
the faces around. "Know me," he stammered with wet lips. "Vat, funf
year--berfegtly acquaint--grockery--Verfluchte sponsher. Ich? Spy. Vat
for spy? Vordamte English pedlars!"

The door slammed. "Is that so?" asked a New England voice. "Why don't
you let daylight into him?"

"Oh, we can't do that here," murmured one of the players. "Your deal,
Trench, let us get on."

"Can't you?" drawled the New England voice. "You law-abiding,
get-a-summons, act-of--parliament lot of sons of Belial--can't you?
Now, look a-here, these Colt pistols I am selling--" He took the pearler
aside and could be heard talking earnestly in the corner. "See--you
load--and--see?" There were rapid clicks. "Simple, isn't it? And if
any trouble--say with your divers"--_click, click, click_--"Through and
through--like a sieve--warranted to cure the worst kind of cussedness
in any nigger. Yes, siree! A case of twenty-four or single specimens--as
you like. No? Shot-guns--rifles? No! Waal, I guess you're of no use to
me, but I co