question him upon this or any other subject.

As the two chests were being carried into the central
campong, Sing, who was standing near Virginia, called
her attention to the fact that Bududreen was one of those
who staggered beneath the weight of the heavier burden.

"Bludleen, him mate. Why workee alsame lascar boy? Eh?"
But Virginia could give no reason.

"I am afraid you don't like Bududreen, Sing," she said.
"Has he ever harmed you in any way?"

"Him? No, him no hurt Sing. Sing poor," with which
more or less enigmatical rejoinder the Chinaman
returned to his work. But he muttered much to himself
the balance of the day, for Sing knew that a chest that
strained four men in the carrying could contain but one
thing, and he knew that Bududreen was as wise in such
matters as he.

For a couple of months the life of the little hidden
camp went on peacefully and without exciting incident.
The Malay and lascar crew divided their time between
watch duty on board the Ithaca, policing the camp, and
cultivating a little patch of clearing just south of
their own campong.

There was a small bay on the island's east coast, only
a quarter of a mile from camp, in which oysters were