Going into his own cabin, he took a large handbag, threw into it his revolver and two boxes of cartridges, then carried it into the trade-room, and added half a dozen tins of the brand of tobacco which he knew Lacy liked, and then filled the remaining space with pint bottles of champagne.  Then he whipped up a sheet or two of letter paper and an envelope from the cabin-table, thrust them into his coat pocket, and, bag in hand, stepped quickly on deck.  The old mate was in his cabin, and had not heard anything.

“Give it to her, boys,” he said to the crew, taking the steer-oar in his hand, and heading the boat towards a small fore-and-aft schooner lying half a mile away in the Matafele horn of the reef encircling Apia Harbour.

The four native seamen bent to their oars in silence, and sped swiftly through the darkness over the calm waters of the harbour.  The schooner showed no riding light on her forestay, but, on the after deck under the awning, a lamp was burning, and three men—­the captain, mate, and boatswain—­were playing cards on the skylight.

Otway jumped on deck, just as the men rose to meet him.

“Great Ascensial Jehosophat!  Why, it’s you, Mr. Otway?” cried the captain, a little clean-shaven man, as he shook hands with the supercargo.  “Well, now, I was just wondering whether I’d go ashore and try and drop across you.  Say, tell me now, hev you any good tinned beef and a case of Winchesters you can sell me?”

“Yes, both,” replied Otway, shaking hands with the three in turn—­they were all old acquaintances, especially Le Brun, the mate.  “But come below with me, Revels; I’ve important business, and it has to be done right away—­this very night.”

Revels led the way below into the schooner’s cabin, and at once produced a bottle of Bourbon and a couple of glasses.

“No time to drink, Revels....  All right, just a little, then.  Now, tell me, do you want to make—­and make it easy—­five hundred pounds?”

“Guess I do.”

“Are you ready for sea?”

“I was thinking of sailing on a cruise among the Tokelau Islands in a day or two.”

“Then don’t think of it.  If you put to sea to-night for a longer voyage, I can guarantee you that you will get five hundred pounds—­if you will take two passengers on board, and put to sea as soon as they come alongside.”

“Where do they want to go?”

“That I can’t say.  Manila or Hongkong, most likely.  It’ll pay you.”

“Is the money safe?”

Otway struck his hand on the table.  “Safe as rain, Revels.  They have plenty.  I have it here alongside, and if you don’t get five hundred sovereigns paid you when you have dropped Samoa astern, you can come back with your passengers, and I’ll give you fifty pounds myself.”

“Friends of yours?”

“Yes.”

“That’s enough fur me, Otway.  Now, just tell me what to do.”

“Tell your mate to get your boat ready to go ashore, while I write a note.”