‘Why, I thought they couldn’t bring anything agen him now?’ said one of the habitués of the bar and beach—‘anyhow he spends his money free and pleasant—nothin’ mean ’bout that!’
‘Maybe yes! maybe no!’ quoth the man from ‘Martha’s Vineyard.’ ‘Anyhow, folks had better keep their eyes skinned, I reckon, as hev’ anythin’ to lose, if it’s only an extry wife. He’s tarnation deep, and so all-fired lucky, that old Nick himself’ll hev’ to mind his eye when he passes in his checks.’
‘Pleased to meet you again, Captain Hayston,’ said Carteret. ‘I thought you were likely to be punctual when a business appointment like mine was on the cards. My name is Lytton Carteret.’
‘Sir, I duly received your letter with accompanying directions—trust we shall do business in terms of your offer’; and here the light glowed in his blue eyes like the sparkle in a fire opal.
‘Much obliged, Captain! We have met before. I saw you in the Bay of Islands in 18—. You were there when the crew of the Jonathan Stubbs mutinied, and threw the captain overboard.’
‘That is so, and we helped to arrest the darned villains, and send them to Sydney for trial, where they were hanged in due form.’
‘Captain Hayston,’ said Carteret, ‘suppose we get to business. I’ve heard many things about [187] ]you, but I’m aware that you’re a man of your word.’ Hayston nodded. ‘I place the fullest confidence in your discretion. The affair, which I depend on your help to carry out, is, I am aware, of delicate, not to say dangerous nature. I wish to get away a friend of mine who is detained at Molokai.’
‘It’s against island law—means fine and imprisonment on conviction. The damned place is closely watched. But it means yanking a soul out of hell, and I’ll risk it, if we agree.’
‘And now, as to the terms?’
‘I must have a thousand pounds. Five hundred down, and the balance when I land your friend at Norfolk Island. He can get a ship to any port in Australia after that.’