Doctor Long Ghost and myself, however,
never meddled with these preliminaries, but came to the feast itself
with unimpaired energies.
Like all lank men, my long friend had an appetite of his own. Others
occasionally went about seeking what they might devour, but he was
always on the alert.
He had an ingenious way of obviating an inconvenience which we all
experienced at times. The islanders seldom use salt with their food;
so he begged Rope Yarn to bring him some from the ship; also a little
pepper, if he could; which, accordingly, was done. This he placed in
a small leather wallet - a "monkey bag" (so called by sailors)
- usually worn as a purse about the neck.
"In my opinion," said Long Ghost, as he tucked the wallet out of
sight, "it behooves a stranger, in Tahiti, to have his knife in
readiness, and his castor slung."
CHAPTER XXXV.
VISIT FROM AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE
WE had not been many days ashore, when Doctor Johnson was espied
coming along the Broom Road.
We had heard that he meditated a visit, and suspected what he was
after. Being upon the consul's hands, all our expenses were of course
payable by him in his official capacity; and, therefore, as a friend
of Wilson, and sure of good pay, the shore doctor had some idea of
allowing us to run up a bill with him.
