“You’ll have to ask the captain about that,” replied Dick. “It’s too deep for me.”
The vessel came to anchor some distance from shore. It was announced that the ship would lay there for several hours, and the captain gave notice that those desiring to land would be taken off in the small boats.
Shirley immediately announced her intention of being one of the landing party, and loath to let the girl go alone, Mr. Willing and the others also determined to go ashore.
Half an hour later found them strolling about the dirty looking narrow streets of the little town.
Poorly-dressed natives, men, women and children, eyed them queerly as they walked along, the latter following them for blocks begging for money. Shirley would have given one of the children a piece of silver but for the first officer of the ship, who stayed her.
“Give money to one of them and the rest will follow you forever,” he explained.
“But they look so dirty and hungry,” protested Shirley.
“Perhaps they are,” was the officer’s reply, “but take no chances with them.”
Shirley followed his advice, as did the others of the party, and the dirty native children soon let them alone. When the party started back, however, the children trailed them once more, begging piteously for money.
At the wharf Shirley, unheeding the advice of the officer, turned and tossed a silver quarter toward them.