Naturally, you are wondering what it is all about. But have patience.
As I have said, Captain Donovan sails on the annual trip to Karo-Karo at
daylight to-morrow. Tom Butler is old, and getting quite helpless. I've
tried to retire him to Australia, but he says he wants to remain and
die on Karo-Karo, and he will in the next year or so. He's a queer old
codger. Now the time is due for me to send some white man up to take the
work off his hands. I wonder how you'd like the job. You'd have to stay
two years.

"Hold on! I've not finished. You've talked frequently of action this
evening. There's no action in betting away what you've never sweated
for. The money you've lost to me was left you by your father or some
other relative who did the sweating. But two years of work as trader on
Karo-Karo would mean something. I'll bet the ten thousand I've won from
you against two years of your time. If you win, the money's yours. If
you lose, you take the job at Karo-Karo and sail at daylight. Now that's
what might be called real action. Will you play?"

Deacon could not speak. His throat lumped and he nodded his head as he
reached for the cards.

"One thing more," Grief said. "I can do even better. If you lose, two
years of your time are mine--naturally without wages. Nevertheless,
I'll pay you wages. If your work is satisfactory, if you observe all
instructions and rules, I'll pay you five thousand pounds a year for two
years. The money will be deposited with the company, to be paid to you,
with interest, when the time expires. Is that all right?"

"Too much so," Deacon stammered. "You are unfair to yourself. A trader
only gets ten or fifteen pounds a month."

"Put it down to action, then," Grief said, with an air of dismissal.
"And before we begin, I'll jot down several of the rules. These you will
repeat aloud every morning during the two years--if you lose. They
are for the good of your soul. When you have repeated them aloud seven
hundred and thirty Karo-Karo mornings I am confident they will be in
your memory to stay. Lend me your pen, Mac. Now, let's see----"

He wrote steadily and rapidly for some minutes, then proceeded to read
the matter aloud:

"_I must always remember that one man is as good as another, save and
except when he thinks he is better._

"_No matter how drunk I am I must not fail to be a gentleman. A
gentleman is a man who is gentle. Note: It would be better not to get
drunk_.

"_When I play a man'