hey beckoned us to come into another room, and, placing some mats on
the ground, they told us that we might sleep there safely--at least,
that's what we made out.

"Night came on, and Jack and I, agreeing that we had got into good
quarters, went to sleep. There was no bell striking, and no bo'sun's
mate to rouse us up, and so we slept on till it was broad daylight. We
got up and looked out from the verandah, or platform, which went round
the house, when we saw three men talking together. As soon as they
caught sight of us they came towards the house, and one of them mounted
the ladder. He looked at us with surprise, and seemed to be asking who
we were. We told him as well as we could by signs that we had come
across from the other side of the island, and wanted to get off to our
ship, which would soon be round to take us aboard. This did not seem to
satisfy him. Presently in came the women, and they had a talk about the
matter, but what they said we could not make out. The first man then
called the other two, and after more palavering they began to look
savage, and gave us to understand that we were to be their slaves, and
work for them.

"`Well,' says Jack to me, `all we've got to do is to grin and bear it.
Maybe, as we are near the sea, we shall have a chance of making our
escape.'

"This was one comfort; so we nodded, as much as to say we were ready to
do what they bid us, for, you see, we were in their power and couldn't
help ourselves. After we had gone into the house and sat down, waiting
to see what would next happen, the women--bless them for their
kindness!--brought us some more food for breakfast, and a capital one we
made. Bad as was our lot, yet it was better than being knocked on the
head or having our throats cut. A number of people now came out of
their houses, and there was great rejoicing among them to think that
they had got two white men as slaves. We found that we had plenty of
work to do to cut wood and fetch water, and to hoe in their fields,
which were some way from the village, or to go out fishing with them.

"This we liked better than anything else. If it had not been for the
women our lot would have been worse, for they took care to give us food
every day, which I don't think the men would have troubled themselves
about doing, for they were regular savages.

"Day after day went by; we were getting accustomed to our life, and as
yet had had no chance of escaping. A precious s