to you, lass, I'm somewhat afeared to face it.
It's not that I fear to die more than other men, but I'd feel it awful
hard to be took away from you an' all them dear child'n. But God's will
be done."

"They'd never take you from us, father," exclaimed Dinah Adams, who
overheard this speech.

"There's no sayin', Di. I've forfeited my life to the laws of England.
I tell 'ee what it is, Thursday," said Adams, going up to the youth, who
was gazing wistfully like the others at the rapidly approaching vessel,
"it may be a man-o'-war, an' they may p'r'aps want to ship me off to
England on rather short notice. If so, I must go; but I'd rather not.
So I'll retire into the bushes, Toc, while you go aboard in the canoe.
I'll have time to think over matters before you come back with word who
they are, an' where they hail from."

While Thursday went down to the beach, accompanied by Charlie, to
prepare a canoe for this mission, the ship drew rapidly near the island,
and soon after hove to, just outside of Bounty Bay. As she showed no
colours, and did not look like a man-of-war, Adams began to feel easier
in his mind, and again going out on the cliffs, watched the canoe as it
dashed through the surf.

Under the vigorous strokes of Thursday and Charlie Christian, it was
soon alongside the strange ship. To judge from the extent to which the
men opened their eyes, there is reason to believe that those on board of
that strange ship were filled with unusual surprise; and well they might
be, for the appearance of our two heroes was not that which voyagers in
the South Pacific were accustomed to expect. The remarks of two of the
surprised ones, as the canoe approached, will explain their state of
mind better than any commentary.

"I say, Jack, it ain't a boat; I guess it's a canoe."

"Yes, Bill, it's a canoe."

"What d'ye make 'em out to be, Jack?"

"Men, I think; leastwise they're not much like monkeys; though, of
coorse, a feller can't be sure till they stand up an' show their
tails,--or the want of 'em."

"Well, now," remarked Bill, as the canoe drew nearer, "that's the most
puzzlin' lot I've seen since I was raised. They ain't niggers, that's
plain; they're too light-coloured for that, an' has none o' the nigger
brick-dust in their faces. One on 'em, moreover, seems to have fair
curly hair, an' they wears jackets an' hats with something of a
sailor-cut about 'em. Why, I do b'lieve they're shipwrecked sailors."

"No