Followed by the sailors carrying the muskets, the two captains walked over the soft, springy floor of mats, and seated themselves facing the young man.  His eye lit up at the sight of the arms, and then he desired Ross to tell his men to withdraw.  Then as the sound of their footsteps died away, he looked at Cayse and said briefly—­

“Go on, capen.  You talk.”

Cayse went into the subject at once.

“Captain Ross, do you want to earn three thousand dollars?”

“Don’t mind.”

“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 Leasse 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 children—­eh, Charlik?”

The young chief nodded in assent.

“Now, by a bit of luck, news came up the other day by one of Charlik’s spies that Ledyard has gone away to Ponape in a cutter he has built.  It will take him two or three weeks to go there and back, and now is the time for Charlik to wipe out old scores—­the Leasse people won’t stand much of a chance agin’ a night attack by three hundred of Charlik’s people.  If Ledyard was there it would be different.”

Ross soon made his decision.  He was a man utterly without pity, and Cayse who, while inciting others to slaughter for the sake of his own gain, yet had some grains of compunction in his nature, almost shuddered when the master of the Lucy May laughed hoarsely and said—­