olling away and the boatswain and Mark laughing at him. "It's
all his orbstinacy--that's what it is. I'll give him such a wunner when
I gets hold of him. I'll make him say `chack!'"

But there seemed to be no more chance of Billy getting hold of the
monkey than of the nuts, and the more he scolded and abused the curious
animal the more loudly it sputtered at him, and seemed to expostulate
and scold by turns.

"There, it's of no good," said the boatswain; "give it up, my lad."

"Yes," said Billy sulkily, "I'm a-going to; but if I don't sarve him out
for this my name aren't Widgeon."

"Come along, Mr Mark," said the boatswain, "Jack's going to roost up
there to-night."

"Wish he may tumble out o' the tree, then, and break something," growled
Billy, whose dignity was touched.

"He won't tumble," said the boatswain, "he knows better. Come along,
Mr Mark."

"Want him down, Billy?"

"Course I does, and I'm sorry for him when he do come, for I'm a-going
to warm his skin, that's what I'm a-going to do for him."

"Shall I get him down?"

"You can't," cried Billy sourly.

"Better than you can get cocoa-nuts," said Mark, laughing, for the
perils were all forgotten, and the strange noise in the jungle might
never have been. "Here, Bruff."

The dog trotted up with Billy's cap in his mouth, surrendered it
dutifully; and then Mark caught up a piece of drift-wood--a branch swept
ashore by the current--and raising it in a threatening way, Bruff
uttered a low howl.

Whish went the stick through the air, and Bruff crouched at his feet,
grovelling in the sand, and holding up his wounded and bandaged paw as
he whined piteously, as if that injury were sufficient to exempt him
from being beaten.

Mark bent over him, caught him by the loose skin of his neck, and struck
the sand a heavy bang.

The dog whined softly as if beaten, and Jack began to dance about up in
the cocoa-nut tree, snaking the leaves and chattering savagely.

Another blow on the sand, a howl, and a furious burst from the monkey,
who spat and scolded more fiercely.

Another blow, and another, and another; and as Bruff whined, the monkey
came scuffling down the smooth columnar trunk, and was evidently on his
way to attack Mark, but Billy caught him before he could reach the
ground, administered a smart cuff on the ear, and would have delivered
another, but, quick as thought, Jack sprang from his grasp, spun round,
leaped upon his back like lightning,