The mate’s eyes blazed with anger.

“And I tell you again that I won’t have anything to do with it.  I know my duty, and mean to stick to it.  I shipped for a whaling voyage, and not to help savages to fight.  Take my advice and give it up.  Money got in this way will do you no good.”

Cayse shifted his feet uneasily.

“I can’t afford to sling away the chance of earnin’ two or three thousan’ dollars so easy.  An’ you’ll hev to do your duty to me.  Naow, look here—­”

North raised his hand.

“That will do.  I have said I will do my duty as mate, but not a hand’s turn will I take in such bloody work as you and the skipper of that crowd of Sydney cut-throats and convicts are going into for the sake of six thousand dollars.”

“Well, I reckon we can do without you.  Any one would think we was going piratin’, instead of helping the king of this island to his rights.  Naow, just tell me—­”

Again the mate interrupted him.

“I am going for’ard to get the anchor up, and will obey all your orders as far as the working of the ship is concerned—­nothing more.”

An hour later the two vessels, their decks crowded with three hundred savages, armed with muskets, spears, and clubs, were towed out through the narrow, reef-bound passage, and with the now freshening trade wind filling their sails, set a course along the coast which before sunset would bring them to Leasse, on the lee side of the island.  But presently, in response to a signal from the Lucy May, the whaler lay to; a boat put off from the smaller ship, and Captain Ross came alongside, clambered over the bulwarks and joined Cayse and the young king of Port Lele, who were awaiting him on the poop, to discuss with him the plan of surprise and slaughter of the offending people of Leasse.

* * * * *

Nearly a week before the Iroquois had run into Port Lele to refresh before proceeding westward and northward to the Bonin Islands in pursuance of her cruise.  Charlik, the king, was delighted to see Cayse, for in the days when his father was king the American captain had conveyed a party of one hundred Strong’s Islanders from Port Lele to MacAskill’s Island, landed them in his boats during the night, and stood off and on till daylight, when they returned reeking from their work of slaughter upon the sleeping people, and bringing with them some scores of women and children as captives.  For this service the king had given Cayse half a ton of turtle-shell, and the services of ten young men as seamen for as long a time as the Iroquois cruised in the Pacific on that voyage.  When Charlik’s father was dying, he called his head chiefs around him, and gave the boy into their care with these words—­“Here die I upon my mat like a woman, long before my time, and to-morrow my spirit will hear the mocking laughs of the men of Mout and Leasse, when they say, ‘Sikra is dead; Sikra was but an empty boaster.’”