ea;
"there's a canoe--two canoes--three."

They followed the direction of his pointing finger, and saw plainly
enough three long, low vessels full of men gliding by, with their
matting sails glistening in the sun, and not two miles out from where
they stood.

"Worse and worse," said the mate. "We must get back to the yacht,
gentlemen."

"Of course," said Sir John, drawing a deep breath. "Why, there must be
a hundred men in those canoes."

"Quite that, sir, I'm afraid," replied the mate. "Quick, please. It
will be terrible if they attack the captain while he is so
short-handed."

"But he has the big guns, and the men are well-trained," said the
doctor, as they hurried down to the boats.

"What is the use of them, sir, when a crowd of reckless savages are
swarming over the sides? He is lying at anchor too, and the yacht is
made helpless."

The men were soon in their places, pulling a long, steady stroke, and
thinking nothing of the hot sunshine.

"It is of no use to try and hide ourselves," said the mate, "for it is a
race between us who shall get there first."

"But they can't know the yacht is there," said Sir John.

"Perhaps not, sir; but they will soon sight us, and then run for the
opening in the reef, if they were not already going there."

"Well, there's one advantage on our side," said the doctor; "they can't
attack us till they get through the reef, so we're safe till then."

"Yes, sir," said the mate bitterly; "but I was thinking of the captain,
and his anxiety, alone there."

"Yes, of course," said Sir John; and he looked at the mate when he could
do so unobserved; and it seemed to Jack that he thought more highly of
Mr Bartlett than ever.

They had been rowing abreast, with the waters of the lagoon perfectly
smooth; but as they began to round one of the huge buttresses of lava
which had run down into the lake, they saw that the water all beyond was
disturbed by a breeze.

The mate started up and began to give his orders directly. The mast in
the bigger boat was stepped, the sail hoisted, and he shouted to one of
the men to throw a line from the bows of Jack's boat, to make fast to
their stern.

"We can take you in tow, doctor," he said, with the men still rowing and
the sail flapping; then a little spar was set up from the stern, and a
triangular sail hoisted from the bows to the mast in front.

"Four men in here," cried the mate; "unless you two gentlemen would like
to come."