I feared, however, as I offered the contents of one of
them to my poor companion, that it was too late to afford him any
relief. I sat up with him all night, giving him from time to time some
of the cooling beverage; but he was evidently getting worse. Once only
he spoke to me. "Get off in the boat, Mr Rayner," he said; "it is your
only chance. Trust in God; he will help you in time of need."

He was silent after this, and, overcome with fatigue, I dropped off to
sleep. When I awoke the light was shining in through the door of the
hut. I looked at Dick's countenance; it was calm and pleasant. I took
his hand--it dropped by his side. Then I knew that my poor friend was
dead; and I burst into tears.

When I recovered myself I got up and told the chief what had happened,
begging that some men might be sent to help me to dig his grave, for
already the flies were gathering about his face. The chief complied
with my request; so we dug a grave on the top of a hill a short distance
from the village, and within view of the sea. In the evening we carried
him there, and I took my last look of his honest countenance ere the
soil was thrown in on his body. I then got some young saplings and
planted them round the grave, which I covered up with a pile of earth.
On this also I planted some flowering shrubs. Next day I employed
myself in carving on a piece of wood his name, and the date, as far as I
could calculate it, of his death.

Soon after this I discovered that something unusual was going forward in
the village. The chief had evidently important intelligence brought
him; for the warriors were arming, and the women were in a state of
agitation. What it was all about I could not tell, and the savages did
not think fit to enlighten me. They did not, however, neglect their
taro fields; and I was sent out as usual to work.

I had started at daybreak, that I might get as much done as possible
during the cool hours of the morning, and was labouring away, when,
hearing a noise in the bushes near me, I looked up and saw a figure
spring out from among them. The next instant I recognised Harry Hudson,
who ran towards me.

"Come along," he exclaimed; "I am pursued, and we may both be captured.
I'll tell you what has happened when we reach a place of safety."

I set off with him towards the village. Our appearance, with the
account we gave, made all the warriors turn out, led by Whagoo, to stop
the progress of the ene