Loudon gave voice to the general sentiment by remarking, "Talk of good

business! I know nothing better than a schooner, a competent captain,

and a sound, reliable reef."

"Good business! There's no such a thing!" said the Glasgow man. "Nobody

makes anything but the missionaries--dash it!"

"I don't know," said another. "There's a good deal in opium."

"It's a good job to strike a tabooed pearl-island, say, about the fourth

year," remarked a third; "skim the whole lagoon on the sly, and up stick

and away before the French get wind of you."

"A pig nokket of cold is good," observed a German.

"There's something in wrecks, too," said Havens. "Look at that man in

Honolulu, and the ship that went ashore on Waikiki Reef; it was blowing

a kona, hard; and she began to break up as soon as she touched. Lloyd's

agent had her sold inside an hour; and before dark, when she went to

pieces in earnest, the man that bought her had feathered his nest. Three

more hours of daylight, and he might have retired from business. As it

was, he built a house on Beretania Street, and called it for the ship."

"Yes, there's something in wrecks sometimes," said the Glasgow voice;

"but not often."

"As a general rule, there's deuced little in anything," said Havens.

"Well, I believe that's a Christian fact," cried the other. "What I want

is a secret; get hold of a rich man by the right place, and make him

squeal."

"I suppose you know it's not thought to be the ticket," returned Havens.

"I don't care for that; it's good enough for me," cried the man from

Glasgow, stoutly. "The only devil of it is, a fellow can never find a

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