e, aunt."

"Oh dear me! what a dreadful jargon. Come here, sir, and I'll give you
some damper."

Aunt Georgie seated herself, took one of the great cakes she had made,
and broke it in half, holding it out to the black.

"He doesn't deserve it," said Uncle Jack, sternly.

"Big white Mary gib damper," cried the black excitedly, taking the cake
and sticking it in his waistband, while he slipped his spear out of the
handles of his bag. "Shanter find white grub. Plenty all 'long big
white Mary."

As he spoke, he emptied the contents of his bag suddenly in the old
lady's lap, laughed at the shriek she gave, and walked off to devour his
cake, while Norman and Rifle collected the curious white larvae in a tin
to set them aside for a private feast of their own, no one caring to
venture upon a couple that were roasted over the embers.

Just then the captain was summoned to the evening meal, and after a
glance round, he called to Shanter:

"Here, boy," he said, as the black came up grinning, and with his mouth
full; "go up and look black fellow.--That's the best way I can think of
telling him to relieve Tim," he said.

The black nodded, shouldered his spear, and marched off.

"He obeys you," said Uncle Jack, who had looked on curiously.

"Of course. So he does you."

Uncle Jack shook his head.

"No," he said. Then the incidents of the day were related, and the
captain looked thoughtful.

In due time Tim came down from his perch, and took his place where the
evening meal was discussed in peace, but not without an occasional
glance round, and a feeling of dread that at any moment there might be
an alarm; for they felt that after all they were interlopers in an
enemy's country, and on their voyage out they had heard more than one
account of troubles with the blacks, stories of bloodshed and massacre,
which they had then been ready to laugh at as travellers' tales, but
which now impressed them very differently, and filled them with an
undefined sensation of terror, such as made all start at every shadow or
sound.

CHAPTER TEN.

"THAT BLACK IS OF NO USE."

Strict watch was kept, but the night passed peacefully away, and the
morning dawned so brightly, everything around was so beautiful, with the
birds singing, the sky all orange, gold, and vivid blue, that in the
glorious invigorating air it was simply impossible to be in low spirits.
The boys had no sooner started to climb the hills and scout for danger,