Gradually he swallowed up one after another of his weaker neighbors, sometimes by force, sometimes by treachery.

I believe he is now confronted by more powerful chiefs, and that it is only because he is possessed of some six or eight piratical prahus that he has been able to maintain his position.

No doubt he has become alarmed by a prospect of a combination against him, and has so invited us to support him.

Such a step will, of course, greatly add to his unpopularity, but doubtless he thinks that, with our help, he could defy his enemies." "But, he cannot suppose, Doctor," Harry said indignantly, "that we are going to fight for such a rascal as he is against the men he has been plundering." "I don't expect he does think that we are going to fight for him, unless he can show us that it is to our interest to do so.

I should imagine that he hopes that the effect of our appearance here will be to either induce his neighbors to come to some arrangement with him, or that he will endeavor to make peace with them by offering to throw us over, and to join with them against us." "Then, I should say, Doctor, that the best thing would be to hang the ruffian up at once." "Well, yes, that might be a good plan, Parkhurst," the doctor said with a smile, "and might save us a good deal of trouble; but, you see, we have come up here at his invitation; we have just been eating his food and drinking his liquor, and it would scarcely place us in a favorable position in the eyes of the natives in general were we to commence our alliance with him by hanging him." Harry laughed.