"Neither do I. Well, just listen. The king here has three thousand
dollars in cash and three thousand dollars' worth of coconut ile and
turtle-shell. Now, if you and I will help him to do a bit of fightin'
it's ours. The money and shell is here in this room, the ile is in the
sheds near by. If you agree, the king will hand us over the money now,
and we can ship the ile in the morning."

Ross thought a moment, then he said suspiciously--

"Why are you giving me a chance?"

"Not from any feelin' of affection for you, mister," answered Cayse with
his peculiar snarl, "but because I ain't able to do the whole business
myself--if I could I wouldn't ask _you_ to come in. Now, I noticed this
mornin' that you carry a big crew, and have six guns, and I reckon thet
you hev to use 'em sometimes in your business?"

Ross laughed grimly. "All of us sandalwooding ships carry a few
nine-pounders as well as plenty of small arms. We are allowed to do so
by the Governor of New South Wales."

"Just so. Well, now, listen. This island is governed by two chiefs;
this one here, Charlik, has most people, but the other lot, who live on
the lee side of the island, rebelled against his father more'n ten years
ago. They've had a good many fights, an' in the last one these Lele
people got badly whipped. Charlik is the proper king, but ever since a
white man named Ledyard went to live with the Leassé people, they've
refused to pay tribute. This Ledyard is the cause of all the trouble,
and he has taught his natives how to fight European fashion. There's
only about six hundred of 'em altogether--men, women, and