“‘Lawd!’ says Hammond, drawing a long breath, ’I never was so ’appy in my life.  This ‘ere lady-killing business ain’t in my line.’

“He felt so good that he set by the wheel and sung, ’Good-by, sweet’art, good-by,’ for an hour or more.

“In the morning we was in sight of another small island, and, out on a p’int, was a passel of folks jumping up and down and waving a signal.

“‘Well, if there ain’t more castaways!’ says I.

“’Don’t go near ’em!’ says Hammond.  ’Might come there was more Lobelias among ’em.’

“But pretty quick we see the crowd all pile into a boat and come rowing off to us.  They was all men, and their signal was a red flannel shirt on a pole.

“We put about for ’em and picked ’em up, letting their boat tow behind the schooner.  There was five of ’em, a ragged and dirty lot of Malays and half-breeds.  When they first climbed aboard, I see ’em looking the schooner over mighty sharp, and in a minute they was all jabbering together in native lingo.

“’What’s the matter with ’em?’ says Hammond.

“A chap with scraggy black whiskers and a sort of worried look on his face, stepped for’ard and made a bow.  He looked like a cross between a Spaniard and a Malay, and I guess that’s what he was.

“‘Senors,’ says he, palavering and scraping, ‘boat! my boat!’

“’W’at’s ‘e giving us?’ says Hammond.

“‘Boat!  This boat!  My boat, senors,’ says the feller.  All to once I understood him.

“‘Hammond,’ I says, ’I swan to man if I don’t believe we’ve picked up the real crew of this craft!’

“‘Si, senor; boat, my boat!  Crew!  Crew!’ says Whiskers, waving his hands toward the rest of his gang.

“‘Hall right, skipper,’ says Hammond; ’glad to see yer back haboard.  Make yerselves well at ’ome.  ‘Ow d’ yer lose er in the first place?’

“The feller didn’t seem to understand much of this, but he looked more worried than ever.  The crew looked frightened, and jabbered.

“‘Ooman, senors,’ says Whiskers, in half a whisper.  ’Ooman, she here?’

“‘Hammond,’ says I, ‘what’s a ooman?’ The feller seemed to be thinkin’ a minute; then he began to make signs.  He pulled his nose down till it most touched his chin.  Then he put his hands to his ears and made loops of his fingers to show earrings.  Then he took off his coat and wrapped it round his knees like make-b’lieve skirts.  Hammond and me looked at each other.

“‘’Edge,’ says Hammond, ’’e wants to know w’at’s become of Lobelia ‘Ankins.’

“‘No, senor,’ says I to the feller; ‘ooman no here.  Ooman there!’ And I p’inted in the direction of our island.

“Well, sir, you oughter have seen that Malay gang’s faces light up!  They all bust out a grinning and laffing, and Whiskers fairly hugged me and then Hammond.  Then he made one of the Malays take the wheel instead of me, and sent another one into the fo’castle after something.