“Glad to meet ye.  My name is Cayse, ship Iroquois, bound on a sperm whalin’ cruise.”

Further speech was denied them, for suddenly the thronging and excited natives around them drew aside right and left as Charlik, with a face beaming with smiles, came up to Cayse with outstretched hand, and greeted him warmly in English.  Then he turned quickly to the Englishman and shook hands with him also, and asked him from whence he came.

“From Sydney.  I came here to get wood, water, and provisions.”

“Good.  You can get all you want.  Have you muskets and bullets to sell?”

“I can spare you some.”

“Ah, that is good.  I want plenty, plenty.  Now come to my house and eat and drink; then we can talk.”

It was well on towards sunset before Charlik and Cayse had finished their talk.  Ross meanwhile had gone on board the barque for some firearms which he was giving the king in exchange for several boatloads of provisions.  When he returned, with two of his crew carrying six muskets, a keg of powder, and a bag of bullets, Cayse met him on the threshold of the king’s house.

“Come inside, mister.  The king wants to talk to you on a matter of business.  I reckon you an’ me together can do what he wants done.  But jest come along with me first.  I want to show you the kind of fellow he is when he gets upset.”

The master of the sandalwooder followed the American across the wide courtyard to some native houses.  Stopping in front of one, from which the low murmur of women’s voices, broken now and then by a wailing cry, proceeded, he desired Ross to look in through the doorway.  A small fire of coconut shells was burning in the centre of the room, and by its light Ross saw several women crouched round the bodies of three men, performing the last offices for the dead.  They looked at the white strangers with apathetic indifference, but ceased their labours whilst Ross bent down and examined the still faces.  His scrutiny was brief, but it was enough.

Cayse gave a sniggering laugh.  “I reckon you’ll feel sorter startled, mister, when I tell you that you were the cause of those men getting clubbed, hey?”

Ross frowned angrily.  “What are you driving at?  What the devil had I to do with it?”

“On’y this.  You see I’m the white-headed boy with this young island cock, an’ he’s been expectin’ to see the Iroquois for quite a time.  Your barque happened to heave in sight first, an’ these three fellows who were standin’ mast-head watch up thar on the mountain, came tearin’ down an’ reported that it was my old hooker.  Charlik bein’ a most impatient young fellow, had ’em clubbed on the spot; he should hev waited another five minutes.  Come on, he’s ready to talk business with us now.”

In the centre of the big council room Charlik, attended by his sister, was seated upon a mat.  A couple of brightly burning ship’s lanterns suspended from the beams overhead, revealed the figures of a score of armed natives, seated with their backs to the canework walls of the room; midway between them and the young king were two seamen’s chests, beside which crouched the half-naked, tatooed form or old Kanka.