ia bush. Do you see a small dark
object rising slowly into view? That is the head of a savage, and he
is--ah! now he has ducked again, having caught sight of us."

"And what do you suppose the fellows want?" asked the baronet. "They
cannot attack us, you know."

"No; but _they_ don't know it. Their object is to steal up as close as
possible to us in order, in the first place, to satisfy their curiosity,
and, in the second place, to make a sudden swoop if they see any fancied
chance of being successful."

"Well," said Sir Reginald. "I should like to see the savage who can
reach us so long as we stick to the _Flying Fish_. But we don't want to
stick to her, so we will leave them undisturbed to satisfy their
curiosity to its fullest extent until after breakfast, when we must
adopt measures either to conciliate them or to terrorise them into
leaving us alone. Come, gentlemen, we shall be late for breakfast.
What a superb mass of ruins it is!--beats the Acropolis; don't you think
so?"

If the thousand or more savages, who had spent nearly half the night in
accomplishing the engirdlement of the _Flying Fish_, could have heard
and understood the airy way in which the fact of their close proximity
was dismissed by the baronet as a matter of the most trivial importance,
they would have been intensely disgusted. Happily for their dignity
they were blissfully unconscious of it; and whilst Sir Reginald and his
companions were luxuriating in the bath, and afterwards dallying with a
light but dainty breakfast, the sable warriors continued to close
cautiously in upon the huge white gleaming object which had come into
their midst in so unexpected and extraordinary a manner. Slowly,
cautiously, with untiring patience, and practising every known art of
savage warfare, the band drew closer and closer, until they found
themselves within about a hundred feet of the hull, and almost
overshadowed by her enormous bulk, when considerations of personal
safety prevailed over the ardour of the warrior burning to distinguish
himself, and further advance was, as by unanimous consent, checked. The
huge monster, with its gleaming silvery skin and its curiously-shaped
tail, lay so ominously still and silent, with its enormous circular
black eyes so wide open and fixed, that, having heard of its threatening
demonstration against the cavalry who attacked it on the previous day,
they felt certain it meant mischief, and was only waiting for s