"We hire these people for three years, and when that period has expired
we are obliged to return them to their homes. Formerly, they had the
option of renewing their contracts here without going away, and a good
many planters were careful to see that the men were heavily in debt at
the expiration of their term of service, so that they would be obliged
to engage again in order to get themselves out of debt, which they never
did. Now the government regulation forbids the renewal of a contract
here, and in order to have the agreement a valid one, it must be made
in the island whence the man was brought. Of course this is a hardship
where a man really does not want to go home, but, on the whole, it is
for the best."

Harry asked how they managed to get along with the natives of the
different islands, and if they proved to be good laborers.

"As to that," was the reply, "there is a great deal of difference among
them. The most of them are industrious and do fairly well, but nearly
all need a little urging. We don't flog them, as flogging is forbidden
by law, but the overseers generally carry long, supple sticks which they
know how to handle. They have to be careful, though, in using these
sticks, as some of the Kanakas, as we call the South Sea Islanders, are
revengeful, and they're very handy with knives.

"The men from the Solomon Islands are the worst to deal with, as they
have ugly dispositions; they are inclined to resent what they believe to
be an insult, and they are a strong, wiry race. They are quarrelsome
among themselves, and probably their tendency to quarrel is increased by
the fact that many of them are cannibals. Sometimes we miss one of these
fellows, and though we hunt everywhere, it is impossible to find him.
There are vague rumors that he has been eaten by his friends. The whole
business is carefully concealed from us, and it is very rarely the case
that we are able to get at the facts. It generally turns out, when we
ascertain anything about it, that the man was killed in a fight, and was
then cooked and eaten, to prevent his being wasted."

Harry remarked that the Solomon Islanders, as he saw them on the
plantation, were not a prepossessing lot of people, and he would not
care to be among them even for a single day.

The natives of the Kingsmill group were much more attractive in their
appearance, but even they were nothing to be fond of. On the whole,
neither of the youths took a liking to the labo