As I continued to blow the fire, and occasionally examined the water to see if it boiled, I could mark that the negro's eyes never once quitted me, but, with a restless activity, followed me wherever I went, or whatever I did; and although from his age, and the dreadful infirmity he labored under, I felt I should prove his equal in any struggle, I own that I cast many a sidelong look towards him, lest he should take me by surprise. That he was the notorious Black Boatswain of whom I had heard so much, I had no doubt whatever; and I felt not a little vain of my own courage and presence of mind as I saw myself so possessed and collected in such company. "Give! give!" cried he, impatiently, as I examined the mess of steeping biscuit, and for which he seemed ravenously eager; and at length I removed it from the fire, and placed it before him. Such voracity as his I never witnessed, save in the case of Sir Dudley's lions; he crammed the food with both hands into his mouth, and devoured it with all the savage earnestness of a wild beast. Twice was I obliged to replenish the mess; and each time did it vanish with the same despatch. He now lay back on one arm, and, half closing his eyes, appeared as if he was going asleep; but at the least stir or movement on my part, I saw that his wild, red-streaked eyes followed me at once. Halkett had given me a little bag of tobacco at parting, saying that although I was no smoker, I should soon learn to become one in my solitude. This I now produced, and offered him a handful. The dark features were immediately lighted up with an almost frantic expression of pleasure, as he clutched the precious weed; and tearing off a fragment of the paper, he rolled it into the shape of a cigarette. "No smoke?" asked he, as I sat watching his preparations. I shook my head. "Ah!" cried he, laying down the tobacco before him. "Tehoka, here," said he, pointing to it. "I don't understand," said I; "what is Tehoka?" "Bad! bad!" said he, shaking both hands; "weed make negro so------, so------," and he opened his mouth wide, and dropped his arms heavily backwards, to represent sickness, or perhaps death. "No, no," said I; "this is good, a friend gave it to me." "Smoke," said he, pushing it over towards me; and I saw now that my abstaining had excited his suspicions. "If you like, I will smoke," said I, setting to work to manufacture a cigar like his own. He sat eying me all the while; and when I proceeded to fill it with tobacco, he leaned over to see that I did not attempt any sleight of hand to deceive him. "Will that do?" said I, showing him the little paper tube. "Smoke," said he, gravely.