He was at last prevailed upon to be more communicative; when he proclaimed his opinion, that their companion, Colin, would never leave the desert.
Although partly surmising his reasons for having formed this opinion, Harry urged him to further explain himself.
"Ef Golah see de moder ob de piccaninny gib dat lad one lilly fig,--one drop ob drink, he kill um, sartin-sure. I see, one, two,--seb'ral more see. Golah no fool. Bom-by he see too, and kill um bof,--de lad an' de piccaninny moder."
Harry promised to warn his companion of the danger, and save him before the suspicions of Golah should be aroused.
In explanation of this assertion, Harry was told that, should the young Scotchman refuse any favor from the woman, her wounded vanity would change her liking to the most bitter hatred, and she would then contrive to bring down upon him the anger of Golah,--an anger that would certainly be fatal to its victim.
"Then what must I do to save him?" asked Harry.
"Noting," answered the Krooman. "You noting can do. Ony bid him be good man, and talk much,--pray to God. Golah wife lub him, and he sure muss die."
Harry informed the sailor and Terence of what the Krooman had told him, and the three took counsel together.
"I believes as how the darkey be right," said Bill. "Of course, if the swab Goliarh larns as 'ow one av 'is wives ha' taken a fancy to Master Colly, 't will be all up wi' the poor lad. He will be killed,--and mayhap eaten too, for that matter."
"Like enough," assented Terence. "And should he scorn her very particular attentions, her resentment might be equally as dangerous as Golah's. I fear poor Colin has drifted into trouble."
"What ye be afther sayin' about the woman," said Bill, "'minds me o' a little story I wunce heeard whin I was a boy. I read it in a book called the Bible. It was about a young man, somethin' like Master Colly, barrin' his name was Joseph. A potter's wife tuck a fancy to him; but Joseph, bein' a dacent an' honest youngster, treted her wid contimpt, an' came to great grief by doin' that same. You must 'ave read that story, Master 'Arry," continued Bill, turning from Terence to the young Englishman, and changing his style of pronunciation. "Did it not 'appen summers in this part o' the world? Hif I remember rightly, it did. I know 't was summers in furrin parts."