Dennis’s face seemed to twitch with a dozen quick thoughts and smiles, as Alister turned away to meet his new employer, who had just appeared on the stelling.

“They have wonderful qualities,” he said gently.  “I envy them, I can tell ye, Jack.  What’s an idle lout like me good for?  Will I ever be able to make a home for myself, or for any one else? They do!” He spoke earnestly, and then suddenly relapsing into an imitation of Alister’s accent, which was his latest joke, he added with twinkling eyes, “and they save a wee in wages to their ain trumpeters—­whiles!”

And having drawled out the word “whiles” to the uttermost possible length, he suddenly began to snap his fingers and dance an Irish jig upon the wooden planks of the stelling.  This performance completely demoralized the Chinamen who caught sight of it.  “Eyah!” they cried, they stopped work, they chuckled, they yelled; they doubled themselves up, some of their pig-tails came down, and one and all they laughed so frankly and immoderately, it was hard to believe that anything like deception could be amongst the faults of these almond-eyed children of the Flowery-Land.

Mr. Macdonald (the store-owner) seemed, however, to think that they required pretty close watching, and I do not think he would have been willing to let Alister go back with us to luncheon at Willie’s, but for his appreciation of social rank.  It was obvious that it did Alister no harm that he had a friend in an officer of her Majesty’s Service, and a comrade in the nephew of a sugar-planter of the uppermost level of Demerara society.

We three held a fresh council as we sat with the young engineer.  He and Alister got on admirably, and he threw himself into our affairs with wonderful kindness.  One point he disposed of at once, and that was my fate!  There could be no question, he said, that my duty was to get back to Halifax, “report myself” to Uncle Henry’s agent there, and then go home.

“You’re ruthlessly dismembering the Shamrock, Willie,” Dennis objected.

“I don’t see that. You’re not to stay here, for instance.”

“You’re mighty positive,” said Dennis, blushing.

“Of course I am.  I wouldn’t encourage you to waste sentiment anyhow; and the West Indies is no latitude for boys, to go on with.  And you know as well as I do, that it’s rather more than time the squire started you in life.  You must go home, Dennis!”

“If I do, I go with Jack.  And what about Alister?”

The young officer tugged his moustaches right and left.  Then he said, “If I were exactly in your place, Auchterlay—­”

“Well, sir?” said Alister, for he had hesitated.

—­“I should—­enlist in the Royal Engineers.”

“Nothing like gunpowder,” whispered Dennis to me.  I kicked him in return.