At the very outside their contract would only be for nine months.

Sometimes when he showed signs of being in a cantankerous mood because the haul of shells did not please him, the serang would say to him defiantly, "Come on; take it out of me if you are not satisfied." But Jensen never accepted the challenge.

As the days passed, I thought the weather showed indications of a change; for one thing, the aneroid began jumping about in a very uneasy manner.

I called Jensen's attention to the matter, but he was too much interested in his hunt for black pearls to listen to me.
And now I pass to the fatal day that made me an outcast from civilisation for so many weary years.

Early one morning in July 1864, Jensen went off as usual with the whole of his crew, leaving me absolutely alone in charge of the ship.