“Is this one of your men, you sir?” cried the chief officer, and he pointed down the winding path.
The black stared for a moment or two before following the direction of the officer’s pointing hand. Then catching sight of his fellow black he uttered a yell, raised his hoe in both hands, and sent the heavy iron implement whirling along the path, to be brought up with a crash against a good-sized tree. But before it came in contact with the trunk the black at whom it was aimed sprang in among the bushes and disappeared, while the guide trotted on to where the hoe had fallen and picked it up, shouting in through the thick growth—
“You let me catch you ’way from your work, you ugly, lazy, black rasclum, I crack you cocoanut!” Then striking the haft of the hoe he had picked up against the tree-trunk to tighten the loosened head, he turned again to the approaching boat crew. “Lazy black rasclum,” cried the grinning guide, as if for the benefit of all the newcomers. “Jupe gib um toco catch him again. Massa come along now.—Black dog! Let me catch um again!”
The lieutenant frowned and glanced at the two midshipmen, who were exchanging glances which meant a great deal. Then with a shrug of his shoulders he made a sign to the black guide to go on, a sign which was grasped at once, and the fellow stepped out with his heavy hoe shouldered and a grin at the lads.
“Jupe make um run fas’,” he said. “Jupe teach um leave um work!”
“Look sharp, sir, and show the way,” cried the chief officer angrily.
“Yes, massa; yes, massa,” cried the fellow, grinning. “Jupe show massa de way. Jupe de boy teach de black fella do de work. Lazy rasclum. Ketchum ’sleep under tree.”
“Here, May,” cried the lieutenant angrily, “take this black brute forward a dozen yards and make him show the way and hold his tongue the while.”
“Ay, ay, sir!” growled the sailor, with a grim look, as giving his musket a hitch and then turning it in his hands he brought the butt roughly against the guide’s chest. “Now then, Ebony,” he cried, “for’ard it is, and drop all that there palaver. Lead on and show the way.”
“Yes, sah; Jupe show de—”