Subpose you gib my pearl first time I gib you
something. Now I gib you kick!' I go.
"You see, Mister my good friend, my countryman, he tell Boss about my
white pearl. I lorse him now."
"But you got two more in your pocket"
"Yes, very good pearl; but not good like my snow pearl. I am sick now.
Boss he sack me. I land Thursday Island. I gamble fantan. I no care.
Soon I hab no pearl at all. I hab no work. I am hard up.
"Now, Mister, subpose I no say nothing to my good friend I am reech man
of my country. I drink Mocha coffee. I am too poor. Suppose I go to my
country, back from Aden, I carn drink coffee I am too poor, I drink
coffee from outside. Inside coffee, we sell for reech people--you
Inglesh, and Frinch, and Turkey men."
"What do you mean by outside coffee?"
"When you pick coffee, you Inglesh chuck away outside. We poor Arab dry
that outside, smash 'em up like flour, boil 'em for coffee. All inside
coffee we hab to sell, so poor that country. Mister, I bin tell true my
yarn--neber tell you good friend nothing."
CHAPTER VI
IN PRAISE OF THE PAPAW
Properties varied and approaching the magical have been ascribed to one
of the commonest plants of North Queensland; and yet how trivial and
prosaic are the honours bestowed upon it.
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