"This fella Arunga, me cross along him too much. I no steal this fella Arunga. I no gammon. I say, 'All right, you come along me Berande, work three fella year.' He say, 'All right, me come along you work three fella year.' He come. He catch plenty good fella _kai-kai_, {2} plenty good fella money. What name he run away? Me too much cross along him. I knock what name outa him fella. I pay Seelee, big fella master along Balesuna, one case tobacco catch that fella Arunga. All right. Arunga pay that fella case tobacco. Six pounds that fella Arunga pay. Alle same one year more that fella Arunga work Berande. All right. Now he catch ten fella whip three times. You fella Billy catch whip, give that fella Arunga ten fella three times. All fella boys look see, all fella Marys {3} look see; bime bye, they like run away they think strong fella too much, no run away. Billy, strong fella too much ten fella three times." The house-boy extended the whip to him, but Billy did not take it. Sheldon waited quietly. The eyes of all the cannibals were fixed upon him in doubt and fear and eagerness. It was the moment of test, whereby the lone white man was to live or be lost. "Ten fella three times, Billy," Sheldon said encouragingly, though there was a certain metallic rasp in his voice. Billy scowled, looked up and looked down, but did not move. "Billy!" Sheldon's voice exploded like a pistol shot. The savage started physically. Grins overspread the grotesque features of the audience, and there was a sound of tittering. "S'pose you like too much lash that fella Arunga, you take him fella Tulagi," Billy said. "One fella government agent make plenty lash. That um fella law. Me savvee um fella law." It was the law, and Sheldon knew it. But he wanted to live this day and the next day and not to die waiting for the law to operate the next week or the week after. "Too much talk along you!" he cried angrily. "What name eh? What name?" "Me savvee law," the savage repeated stubbornly. "Astoa!" Another man stepped forward in almost a sprightly way and glanced insolently up. Sheldon was selecting the worst characters for the lesson. "You fella Astoa, you fella Narada, tie up that fella Billy alongside other fella same fella way." "Strong fella tie," he cautioned them. "You fella Astoa take that fella whip. Plenty strong big fella too much ten fella three times. Savvee!" "No," Astoa grunted. Sheldon picked up the rifle that had leaned against the rail, and cocked it. "I know you, Astoa," he said calmly. "You work along Queensland six years." "Me fella missionary," the black interrupted with deliberate insolence. "Queensland you stop jail one fella year. White fella master damn fool no hang you. You too much bad fella. Queensland you stop jail six months two fella time. Two fella time you steal. All right, you missionary. You savvee one fella prayer?" "Yes, me savvee prayer," was the reply.