“Why, certainly, Jim,” he said, with such oily effusiveness that I longed to kick him over the side; “but there ain't no need for your men to be scared. My crew on'y want to hev' a bit of a gam{*} with yours—thet's all.”
* Whalemen's parlance for gossip.
He told his men to stay in the boat, but I saw him give them a swift glance, and prepared myself for the next move. Tepi was watching him keenly; Tematau went for'ard and began splitting kindling wood in a lazy, aimless sort of a way, but I knew that he, too, was ready. Still I felt that we were in a tight place—three men against ten, exclusive of Tully. However, I tried to appear at my ease, and asked him to have a drink. Niâbon passed us up a half-bottle of brandy, two tin mugs and some water.
My visitor tossed off his liquor, and lit a cigar, offering me another.
“This is a fine lump of a boat,” he said, running his eye over the deck, and then trying to peer into the little cabin; “you wouldn't care about sellin' her, I guess.”
“No,” I replied, “not now, at any rate. Must fulfil my charter first. But I am open to an offer when we come back from Drummond's Island. I suppose you want her for the king.”
“That is so. He's keen on getting better and bigger boats than those he has, and will sling out the dollars for anything that takes his fancy—like this one will. Won't you run down with her now, and let him have a look at her? It'll be a lot better than lyin' up here, and the king wants to see you.”
I detected the suppressed eagerness in his voice as he made his request, and pretended to think for a few moments, blaming myself for my folly in not clearing out when we could have done so easily.
“No,” I said slowly, as if I had considered the matter, “I think we'll lay here for to-day anyway. But I don't see why I could not run down early to-morrow. Do you think the king could spare me about fifty fathoms of 1 3/4 inch line? I want some badly.”
“Of course—I'll give it to you myself. But I partickler want you to come back with me rightaway, ez Apinoka will jest be ragin' mad with me if I go back by myself. You see, he's going away to the south end of the lagoon at daylight on a fishin' trip.”