hilst his restless eye sought the
village houses to discern the movements of the chief's mother with his
child.

The American pulled his long, straggling beard meditatively. "Wal, I
don't know, they're a darned mean crowd anyway." And then, with a sudden
change of manner, "Say, look here, mister; hev yew finally made up your
mind ter remain on this island among a lot ev outrageous, unclothed,
ondelikit females, whar every prospeck pleases an' on'y man is vile; or
air yew game ter come in pardners with me in the schooner an' run her in
the sugar trade between 'Frisco and Honolulu?"

Prout grasped the old man's hand, but shook his head.

"You are a generous man, Captain Hetherington, but I cannot do it. I am
no seaman, and, what is more to the point, I have no money to put into
the venture."

"Thet's jest it," the American answered quickly, "but yew hev a long
head--fer a Britisher, a darned long head--an' I reckon yew an' me will
pull together bully; so jes' tell the chief here to get the traps back
inter the boat again, an' yew an' me an' little Mercedy will get aboard
agin----"

"No, no, no," and the trader rose to his feet and walked quickly to
and fro--"no, Hetherington; I cannot do as you wish. Here, among these
islands, it is my wish to live; and here, or on such another island as
this, and among such wild, uncivilised beings, must I die."

"So?" and the hard-featured American raised his shaggy eyebrows
interrogatively. "Waal, I reckon yew regulates your own affairs ter
your own fancy; but look here, mister," and the kindly ring in the old
skipper's voice appealed to the man before him--"what about little
Mercedy? Yew ain't agoin' to let thet pore child grow up among naked,
red-skinned savages, hey?"

A deep flush overspread the trader's face, and then it paled again, and
he ceased his hurried, agitated walk.

"Hetherington!... do not, I implore you, say another word to me on the
subject. It is better for me to remain here with my little Mercedes....
So, here, give me that honest hand of yours and leave me.... But, stop,
I forgot," and he thrust his hand into a large canvas pouch that hung
suspended from his shoulder, "I did indeed forget this, Captain; but
forget the kindness that you have shown to me and my child during the
four months I have been with you, I never can."

The Yankee skipper's face was visibly perturbed as he heard the jingle
of money in the canvas pouch, and he worked his jaws violentl