ng;
and the humiliated beach-comber kept almost entirely to himself, sitting
on the forecastle-head all day long, smoking his sui-yen-hu and brooding
silently to himself.

Moran had taken the lump of ambergris from out Kitchell's old hammock,
and had slung the hammock itself in the schooner's waist, and Charlie
was made as comfortable as possible therein. They could do but little
for him, however; and he was taken from time to time with spells of
coughing that racked him with a dreadful agony. At length one noon, just
after Moran had taken the sun and had calculated that the "Bertha" was
some eight miles to the southwest of San Diego, she was surprised to
hear Wilbur calling her sharply. She ran to him, and found him standing
in the waist by Charlie's hammock.

The Chinaman was dying, and knew it. He was talking in a faint and
feeble voice to Wilbur as she came up, and was trying to explain to him
that he was sorry he had deserted the schooner during the scare in the
bay.

"Planty muchee solly," he said; "China boy, him heap flaid of Feng-shui.
When Feng-shui no likee, we then must go chop-chop. Plenty much solly I
leave-um schooner that night; solly plenty--savvy?"

"Of course we savvy, Charlie," said Moran. "You weren't afraid when it
came to fighting."

"I die pletty soon," said Charlie calmly. "You say you gib me fifteen
hundled dollah?"

"Yes, yes; that was our promise. What do you want done with it,
Charlie?"

"I want plenty fine funeral in Chinatown in San Francisco. Oh, heap
fine! You buy um first-chop coffin--savvy? Silver heap much--costum
big money. You gib my money to Hop Sing Association, topside Ming Yen
temple. You savvy Hop Sing?--one Six Companies."

"Yes, yes."

"Tellum Hop Sing I want funeral--four-piecee horse. You no flogettee
horse?" he added apprehensively.

"No, I'll not forget the horses Charlie. You shall have four."

"Want six-piecee band musicians--China music--heap plenty gong. You no
flogettee? Two piecee priest, all dressum white--savvy? You mus' buyum
coffin yo'self. Velly fine coffin, heap much silver, an' four-piecee
horse. You catchum fireclacker--one, five, seven hundled fireclacker,
makeum big noise; an' loast pig, an' plenty lice an' China blandy.
Heap fine funeral, costum fifteen hundled dollah. I be bury all same
Mandarin--all same Little Pete. You plomise, sure?"

"I promise you, Charlie. You shall have a funeral finer than little
Pete's."

Charlie nodded his h