lamentation. 'I no savvy TALK that island,' said he. 'I savvy hear

um CLY. I think, Hum! too many people die here!' But upon Wiseman and

Wishart the significance of that barbaric keening was lost. Full of

bread and drink, they rollicked along unconcerned, embraced the girls

who had scarce energy to repel them, took up and joined (with drunken

voices) in the death wail, and at last (on what they took to be

an invitation) entered under the roof of a house in which was a

considerable concourse of people sitting silent. They stooped below the

eaves, flushed and laughing; within a minute they came forth again with

changed faces and silent tongues; and as the press severed to make way

for them, Taveeta was able to perceive, in the deep shadow of the house,

the sick man raising from his mat a head already defeatured by disease.

The two tragic triflers fled without hesitation for their boat,

screaming on Taveeta to make haste; they came aboard with all speed

of oars, raised anchor and crowded sail upon the ship with blows and

curses, and were at sea again--and again drunk--before sunset. A week

after, and the last of the two had been committed to the deep. Herrick

asked Taveeta where that island was, and he replied that, by what he

gathered of folks' talk as they went up together from the beach, he

supposed it must be one of the Paumotus. This was in itself probable

enough, for the Dangerous Archipelago had been swept that year from east

to west by devastating smallpox; but Herrick thought it a strange course

to lie from Sydney. Then he remembered the drink.

'Were they not surprised when they made the island?' he asked.

'Wise-a-mana he say "dam! what this?"' was the reply.

The Ebb-Tide