“Cap’n big man.  He know everyt’ing,” said Maka.  “But when cap’n go ’way, boy t’ink he big man.  Boy know nothin’.  Better have woman for boss.”

Captain Horn could not help being amused.  “Which woman?” he asked.

“I say old one.  Cheditafa say young one.”

The captain was not a man who would readily discuss his affairs with any one, especially with such a man as Maka; but now the circumstances were peculiar, and he wanted to know the opinions of these men he was about to leave behind him.

“What made you and Cheditafa think that way?” he asked.

“I t’ink old one know more,” replied the negro, “and Cheditafa t’ink wife make bes’ boss when cap’n gone, and young one make bes’ wife.”

“You impertinent black scoundrels!” exclaimed the captain, taking a step toward Maka, who bounced backward a couple of yards.  “What do you mean by talking about Miss Markham and me in that way?  I’ll—­” But there he paused.  It would not be convenient to knock the heads off these men at this time.  “Cheditafa must be a very great fool,” said he, speaking more quietly.  “Does he suppose I could call anybody my wife just for the sake of giving you two men a boss?”

“Oh, Cheditafa know!” exclaimed Maka, but without coming any nearer the captain.  “He know many, many t’ings, but he ’fraid come tell you hisself.”

“I should think he would be,” replied the captain, “and I wonder you are not afraid, too.”

“Oh, I is, I is,” said Maka.  “I’s all w’ite inside.  But somebody got speak boss ’fore he go ’way.  If nobody speak, den you go ’way—­no boss.  All crooked.  Nobody b’long to anybody.  Den maybe men come down from mountain, or maybe men come in boat, and dey say, ’Who’s all you people?  Who you b’long to?’ Den dey say dey don’ b’long nobody but demselves.  Den, mos’ like, de w’ite ones gets killed for dey clothes and dey money.  And Cheditafa and me we gets tuck somew’ere to be slaves.  But if we say, ’Dat lady big Cap’n Horn’s wife—­all de t’ings and de people b’long to big he’—­hi! dey men hands off—­dey shake in de legs.  Everybody know big Cap’n Horn.”

The captain could not help laughing.  “I believe you are as big a fool as Cheditafa,” said he.  “Don’t you know I can’t make a woman my wife just by calling her so?”

“Don’ mean dat!” exclaimed Maka.  “Cheditafa don’ mean dat.  He make all right.  He priest in he own country.  He marry people.  He marry you ’fore you go, all right.  He talk ‘bout dat mos’ all night, but ’fraid come tell cap’n.”

The absurdity of this statement was so great that it made the captain laugh instead of making him angry; but before he could say anything more to Maka, Mrs. Cliff approached him.  “You must excuse me, captain,” she said, “but really the time is very short, and I have a great deal to say to you, and if you have finished joking with that colored man, I wish you would talk with me.”

“You will laugh, too,” said the captain, “when you hear what he said to me.”  And in a few words he told her what Maka had proposed.