"De morning sun, when him first sparkle on de waterdrop dat hang like diamond on de fresh green leaf, shine on me dis wery morning, one reesh and happy man--one leetle chief--master of all dem ting I speak about. White man-of-war peoples come. Sun set in de west,--red trou de sickly fog, leaving every wegitable yellow, and dry, and dusty--who him shine on now--on me, Quacco, once more--aye, but Quacco widout house, or home, or friend, or goods, more as he hab on him back--on Quacco standing up in him kin, desolate as one big large baboon de day him new catch." Here the poor fellow could no longer control his feelings, but wept bitterly--after a burst of grief, he continued, with a voice almost inarticulate from intense emotion--"If all dis was pass wid you, captain, in one leetle hot day, in one small twelve hour!" But his manhood once more rallied in his bosom, and making a step towards Lanyard, with all the native independence of a noble savage, he said, laying one of his hands on his heart, "Yes, massa, I ask you, had all dis happen to you, let alone one poor black debil like myself, white man as you is--Kin's officer as you is--Christian person on de back of bote--can you put your hand where mine is now, and say, dat your spirit would not have been much move--dat it would not have been a bitter, bitter ting to look back to what you was when dat sun rose, and den to consider what his last light glanced on?" He now slowly drew his bayonet--I started at the motion, and Sprawl half rose from his chair, and seized the carving knife that lay on the table. The man did not move a muscle, but continued looking steadfastly in the fourth lieutenant's face, while he placed the handle or pipe of the naked weapon in his right hand. "Massa," at length he said, coolly and deliberately, "I am helpless and unarmed, and a poor drunken rascal beside, and in your power--one moment and you can make cut my troat." Dick returned the weapon, and signed to him to sheath it, which he did--he then unexpectedly turned round to me----"And as for you massa, if I have ill used _you_ dis day, you know of de provocation--you best know what you would have done in my place. But, massa, bote for we blood is red, and you should not forget dis ting, dat one time dis forenoon it might hab been for you place to hax Serjeant Quacco to save you from dem brute beast on sore." I was taken regularly aback, and blackie saw it; so he now assumed an easier mien, as if conscious he had made a favourable impression. "But what brought you here, my good man?" said I.