“Let go the anchor,” Captain Scott cried out disgustedly, and as the chain rattled out, he quietly walked forward and directed the sailor tending it to “haul to and secure.” Then he called in Stump, still sitting inert on the bowsprit end. “A nice mess you’ve made of it,” he said through shut jaws. Stump crawled in slowly, stopping just out of arm’s reach. As agile as a cat, Captain Scott suddenly cleared the distance and his strong hand seized the shrinking mate by the scruff of the neck. He shook him until his bones rattled. “Out with it,” he exclaimed. His voice to Stump had the tone of rusty files. “How did it happen? What did you do to the compass?” Stump saw no avenue of escape. The uncanniness of Captain Scott’s intuition awed him to his resolve for truthfulness. “A boat’s alongside,” Stump sputtered as his shifting and terrified gaze caught sight of a shadowy form in the water making the side of the schooner. The diversion was timely for the trembling Stump. Captain Scott released his hold, but the guilty mate, off his guard, received the full force of Captain Scott’s iron fist squarely under the jaws. His body bent limply backward and fell heavily upon the deck, where it lay motionless, while Captain Scott strolled unconcernedly aft to receive his visitors. CHAPTER V THE “TALOFA” IN UKULA After dinner all the officers of the “Sitka,” as was the custom, took chairs upon the quarter-deck. Phil and Sydney, having finished their unpacking, had joined the circle. The subject of conversation was the course of local events. All looked forward with ill concealed delight at the prospects of active service. “These natives are great fighters,” Ensign Patterson exclaimed admiringly, “only they don’t know the rules of the game. A few hundred white men could hold their own against as many thousand.” “Don’t bank too much on that argument if you are lucky enough to command a company of sailors ashore,” Lieutenant Sargeant returned thoughtfully. “The Herzovinian sailors some years ago were defeated and many killed because their leader underrated the soldierly ability of the Kapuan warrior.” “It’s certainly a travesty on our civilization.” The doctor joined in the general conversation. “Here are three war-ships, each with a couple of hundred good rifle shots. There are probably all told ten thousand warriors in the islands. As far as I can learn, two of these war-ships are pulling for Panu-Mafili and one for Kataafa. If we all three got together and told the natives to go peaceably to their homes, and then if we proceeded to quietly decide to agree upon something--well, useless spilling of blood could be averted, at any rate.” “The trouble with your argument is, doctor,” Lieutenant Sargeant replied, “that it’s too far up in the clouds. Remember we’re all human and living on the earth together. All three nations covet these islands. Some day one will get them, so the question is simply which?”