oice whispered at his ear--

"That's it, Mr Jack. You stop; we don't want to be out of the fun."

Sir John was silent, and stood behind the captain, who looked out ahead
at the canoes, shown up clearly by the search-light as four lay in a
cluster together, their occupants watching the light as if puzzled.

The next moment the light was sent sweeping round to the other side; and
there, plainly seen, was the fifth canoe, its gunwale level with the
surface, and only its high stem and prow standing well above the water.
And there clinging to her on either side were her crew, paddling away by
striking the water, and sending the injured vessel slowly along, so as
to cross the yacht's stem, and take her to where the rest lay waiting,
as if their leaders were uncertain what to do.

"There, you see, Jack," said the doctor. "But what a crash! our speed
saved us from being stove in, just as the tallow candle is said to pass
through a deal board when fired from a gun."

"Do you think they are all there?" said Jack.

"Oh yes, they would help one another; but I don't think we should have
been all here if they had had their way with us."

They stood watching the damaged canoe till it had passed the yacht, and
then the light was suddenly turned so that it lit up the four canoes, in
which there might have been close upon a couple of hundred men; and to
Jack's horror he saw that they had altered their position, and were prow
toward them in regular battle array, and only about forty or fifty feet
apart.

"Does that mean coming on?" said Jack, and he thought of their own
weakness.

"I expect so," replied the doctor; "but I dare say a few volleys of
small shot will give them such a sickening of the white man's magic that
they will turn tail. Why look at that."

The light was now turned on to its full power, and the man who managed
it kept on changing its position so that it blazed right upon each canoe
in turn, with a singular result, each doing the same. For, as if
startled by the light, the occupants began to paddle backward in a
hurried way, till the beam was shifted, when they ceased.

"Why they're regularly scared at the lamp, captain," cried Doctor
Instow.

"Yes, that's so, sir," replied the captain; "and it looks as if they
knew that their deeds were evil, shunning the light in this fashion; but
it can't last. They'll soon get used to it; and if they can only be
scared until I get the steam up I don't mind."

"Ar