"Hans Christensohnstopf—"
"Never mind the rest of it," laughed Jack. "I'll call you Hans. How long have you been here?"
Hans ran his hands around his waist as if counting time by the number of meals he had missed.
"Month," he finally said.
"Where are you stopping?"
Hans explained that there was one English trader in the place, and that he was giving him about half what he needed to eat and a place to sleep in return for about ten hours work each day.
"Do you want to get away?" asked Jack.
"Aindt it?" cried Hans. "I think I'm foolish to stay here. You schwim here?"
Jack knew that it would take a long time to make Hans understand the means of transportation he had used in reaching that part of the world, so he merely shook his head and went on:
"If you'll do something for me, Hans, I'll take you off the island."