roken-winged like a shot bird on the water."

The captain nodded, and the two midshipmen, after a glance at the first
lieutenant, to see that he was listening attentively with half-closed
eyes, gazed at the American again.

"Lookye here, mister," he said, "yew must make no mistake over this job.
If yew do, it's going to be pretty bad for me, and instead of me being
rid of a bad neighbour or two, and coming in for a long strip of rich
rubber-growing land, I shall find myself dropped upon for letting on to
him yewr craft; and I tell yew he's a coon, this slave cyaptain, as
won't forgive anything of that kind. He's just this sort of fellow. If
he finds I've done him such an on-neighbourly act, he'll just give his
fellows a nod, and in less time than yew can wink there'll be no
rubber-grower anywhere above ground, for there'll be a fine rich
plantation to sell and no bidders, while this 'ere industrious
enterprising party will be somewhere down the river, put aside into some
hole in the bank to get nice and mellow by one of the crockydiles, who
object to their meat being too fresh."

"Ugh!" shuddered Roberts.

"Oh, that's right enough, young squire," said the man, turning upon him
sharply. "I ain't telling you no travellers' tales. It's all true
enough. Wal, cyaptain, don't you see the sense of what I am saying?"

"Yes, sir. But tell me this; do you guarantee that there are no shoals
anywhere about the mouth of the river?"

"Shoals, no; sands, no, sir. All deep water without any bottom to speak
of. But where you find it all deep mud yew can't take no harm, sir.
The river's made its way right threw the forest, and the bank's cut
right straight down and up perpendicular like, while if _you_ were to go
ashore it would only be to send your jib boom right in among the trees
and your cut-water against the soft muddy bank. Why, it's mostly a
hundred feet deep. Yew trust me, and yew'll find plenty of room; but if
yew don't feel quite comf'table, if I was yew I'd just lie off for a bit
while you send in one of your boats and Squire First Lieutenant there,
to see what it's like, and the sooner the better, for the sun's getting
low, and as I dessay yew know better than I can tell _yew_, it ain't
long after the sun sinks before it's tidy dark. Now then, what do yew
say? I'm ready as soon as yew are."

"How long will it take us to get up to the chief's town?"

"'Bout till daylight to-morrow morn', mister. That's wha