n, followed by Hannibal with a
box on his shoulder; and lastly there was Sarah, red-faced and panting,
as she bore a large white bundle that looked like a feather-bed tied up
in a sheet.

"What madness!" cried my father, angrily stamping his foot. "Quick,
Morgan! Quick!"

Morgan broke into a trot, and soon reached us, rapidly placed his load
in the boat, and took up one of the pieces.

"How could you waste time by letting that woman come loaded in this
ridiculous way?"

"She would bring them, sir; she wouldn't come without."

"No," said Sarah, who came up completely breathless, "I wasn't going
to."

"Into the boat," cried my father, "if you value your life!"

Hannibal was already in with his box, and my father tried to drag the
bundle from Sarah, but she held on with such tenacity that she was
forced in bundle and all.

Hannibal placed the huge white sphere in the stern, where it rose up
high and projected far over the sides. Then, in obedience to my
father's orders, he seized the oars and sat down.

"Quick, Morgan!" said my father; "be ready to fire steadily as you can
if I give the order. Stop!" he cried quickly, as a sudden thought
struck him; "pass that box into this boat. There, across the stern, as
you have placed that bundle."

The boats were drawn together, and the transfer was made, while my hands
grew wet with perspiration as I scanned the edge of the forest, fancying
I could hear the breaking and rustling of twigs and leaves.

"Here dey come," said Pomp, huskily, just as my father exclaimed, "Cast
off!" and the boats were thrust out into the stream.

It was only just in time, for as our boat was being thrust away with the
oar there was a fierce yell, and a score of savages rushed out of the
edge of the forest, ran rapidly over the bushy ground between, and the
two first sprang into the shallow water, one of them seizing an oar, the
other coming further out, and catching at the boat's side with one hand,
striking at my father with an axe at the same time.

I felt as if the blow had struck me, so keen was the agony I endured;
but relief came on the instant, for the axe edge was warded off by the
barrel of the piece my father held, and before the savage could strike
again he received the butt of the piece full in his forehead, and
dropped back into the water.

Meanwhile the other savage was trying to tear the oar from Pomp's grasp,
and he would have succeeded had not the boy drawn the knif