to eat. The men were all in
good humour, though they yet meant to wreak their vengeance on Chard and
Hendry for the murder of their shipmates. The wounded man who had been
put in Oliver's boat they knew had also died, and this had still further
inflamed them. But for the present they said nothing, but ate their
biscuit and tinned beef in cheerful silence, after waiting for Tessa
and Maoni to begin. Huka, their recognised leader, and Malua, Harvey's
servant, had both assured them that the captain and Chard would be
brought to punishment, but this assurance was not satisfactory to the
majority of them. One of them, the big Manhikian who had helped Latour
to rescue Tessa and Maoni from their cabin, was a brother of the man who
had just died from his wounds in Oliver's boat, and he had, during the
night, promised his shipmates to take his own and give them their _utu_
(revenge) before the boats reached Ponape.

"Turn to again, boys," said Atkins presently, as soon as the men had
satisfied their hunger; "we must catch up to the others now."

The natives bent to their oars again, and sent the boat along at a great
rate, when suddenly Harvey heard the sound of firearms. He stood up and
looked ahead.

"Good God!" he cried, "look there, Atkins! The captain and Chard are
firing into Oliver's boat!"

Even as he spoke the repeated crackling of Winchester rifles could be
heard, and the mate's boat seemed to be in great confusion, and her
occupants were paddling away from their assailants, who, however, were
following them up closely at a distance of about fifty yards.

"Pull, men, pull! For God's sake, lay into it! The captain and firemen
are murdering Mr. Oliver and his party."

The seamen uttered a shout of rage, and made the boat leap through the
water as now, in addition to the sharp crackle of the Winchesters, they
heard the heavier report of a Snider, and Harvey, jumping up on the
after whaleback, and steadying himself with one hand on Atkins's
shoulder, saw that only two or three of Oliver's crew were now
paddling--the rest had been shot down.

"We'll never get there in time, Atkins," he cried, "unless we can hit
those who are firing. It's Chard and the skipper! Let Huka steer."

In a few seconds the change was effected. Huka took the steer-oar,
two of the after-oars were double-banked, and Atkins and Harvey sprang
forward with their Sniders, and began firing at the captain's boat,
though at a range which gave them