However, the boat at last cast off, and headed for the shore, and then
I saw something that filled me with wrath. As the lug sail was being
hoisted, March-mont drew in his steer-oar, and shipped the rudder, and
in another minute the boat was bounding over the rolling seas at a great
rate towards the white breakers on the reef, but steering so wildly
that I foresaw disaster. The crew, in vain, urged Marchmont to ship the
steer-oar again, but he told them to mind their own business, and sat
there, calm and strong, in his mighty conceit.

On came the boat, and we on shore watched her as she rose stern up to a
big comber, then down she sank from view into the trough, broached to,
and the next roller fell upon and smothered her, and rolled her over and
over into the wild boil of surf on the reef.

The Man Who Knew Everything came off badly, and was brought on shore
full of salt water, and unconscious. He had been dashed against the
jagged coral, and from his left thigh down to his foot had been terribly
lacerated; then as the crew swam to his assistance--for his clothing had
caught in the coral, and he was under water and drowning--and brought
him to the surface, the despised steer-oar (perhaps out of revenge)
came hurtling along on a swirling sea, and the haft of it struck him a
fearful blow on the head, nearly fracturing his skull.

Fearing his injuries would prove fatal, I sent a canoe off to the
schooner with a message to the captain to come on shore, but the vessel,
having finished her business, was off under full sail, and did not see
the canoe. Then the trader and I did our best for the poor fellow, who,
as soon as he regained consciousness, began to suffer agonies from the
poison of the wounds inflicted by the coral. We sent a runner to Apia
for a doctor, and early next morning one arrived.

Marchmont was quite a month recovering, and when he was fully
convalescent, he kept his opinions to himself, and I think that the
lesson he had received did him good. He afterwards told me that he
determined to sail the boat in with a rudder purely to annoy me, and was
sorry for it.

When he was able to get about again as usual, the devil of restlessness
again took possession of him and he was soon in trouble again--through
the bursting of a gun. I was away from Apia at the time--at the little
island of Manono, buying yams for the ship which was getting ready for
sea again--when I received a letter from a friend giving me