to make our way between them.

"Says Jack to me, `If those cut-throat fellows come after us, we must
climb up one of these and hide ourselves among the branches.'

"`I don't think they will take the trouble to follow us so far,' I
answered. `But it's a good idea of yours, and it will give us a chance
of saving our lives.'

"We of course could not run as fast as we had been going in the open
country. Sometimes we came across fallen trees, over which we had to
climb, and at others we had to go round thick bushes which we could not
get through. Still, what stopped us would stop our enemies. On and on
we went, till just as we got out of a wood we saw before us a village of
curious-looking houses, built on stout piles, many of them right in the
water.

"`Hadn't we better go back?' I said to Jack; `the people who live there
may be the same sort of cut-throats as those we have got away from.
They'll be for knocking us on the head when they see us.'

"Jack agreed with me that it would be better to stay in the wood till it
was dark, and we might then make our way clear of the village down to
the sea. We were just going back, when a woman came out on a sort of
verandah in front of the house nearest to us, and we knew by the way she
was looking that we were seen. Then she turned round and called to
another woman, who also came out.

"`Come,' said Jack, `we had better go on boldly and ask those
dark-skinned ladies to give us their protection. They are sure to do
that if we look humble enough, and show them that we want to be friends,
for to my mind women are alike all the world over.'

"So we moved on, kissing our hands, and then holding them up clasped
before us. The women did not run away, or seem a bit frightened; and as
we got nearer one of them came down the ladder and held out both her
hands, which we took and put on our heads. She then beckoned us up the
steps, and made signs to us to sit down on mats inside the house. As we
were both very hungry by this time, we pointed to our mouths to show
that we wanted something to eat and drink. The younger girl went to
another part of the house and brought back some fish and yams, and a
bowl with some liquor in it. There was not much to be said for the
taste, but we were too thirsty after our long run to be particular. We
tried to make the women understand that there were enemies coming after
us, and that we wanted to hide away, so when we had finished our meal
t