ead gently, and was not a bit the wiser, save
that he could not feel the movement of fractured bones, so he nodded
back to Jackum and repeated the black's words.

"No brokum," he said, and the black laughed, caught hold of Bostock's
loose neckerchief, slipped it off, and tied it round the injured place,
laughing and nodding as he turned the old sailor round and pointed out
the bandage to Carey. "Big Dan hit um," he said.

"That's right, sonny," cried Bostock, laughing. "I say. Big Dan,
drinkum, drinkum," and he made a pantomimic gesture with his hand as if
tossing off a dram.

Black Jackum gave a sharp glance aft to make sure that his white chief
was not on deck, and then, grinning with delight, he imitated Bostock's
action with his doubled hand as if drinking.

"Rum--rum," he said, and then, with a wonderful display of the imitative
faculty, he went through a clever pantomime, turning his black face into
a grotesque copy of Mallam's, as he made believe to pour rum out of a
bottle, drinking again and again, smiling in an imbecile manner at
first, and then beginning to grow fierce, while his companions squatted
on the deck, nodding and enjoying the performance.

In a few seconds Jackum's countenance changed, his eyes began to roll,
his face seemed puffed out, and a brutally savage look came over it. He
growled like a wild beast, turned on his black companion suddenly, and
kicked him over, ending by jumping on him softly, to the black fellow's
great delight. Then he seemed to run _amok_ among a number of imaginary
people, pulling out his boomerang, pretending to cock it, and shooting
in all directions, ending by making a furious rush at Bostock, making
believe to drag him to the hatchway, where he took out his club, struck
one tremendous blow and clapped down the trap-door. Then he took up a
bottle and glass from where they did not stand on the deck, drank two
glasses and, after pretending to drain the bottle, threw it overboard,
and, with his eyes half shut and a horribly brutal look, went slowly to
the side, settled himself down, and went to sleep.

The whole performance did not take a minute, and then he was back beside
Carey.

"Big Dan," he whispered, with his eyes twinkling with the same delight
which infused his companion, who rolled on the deck in the excess of his
mirth.

"Yes, that's it," said Carey, impatiently. "Big Dan. Drink. Bad.
Now, Jackum, look here."

"Look?" said the black. "What lo