is head. He might have evaded it
easily, but instead of doing so, he suddenly shortened his grasp of his
own club, rushed in under the blow, struck his adversary right between
the eyes with all his force and fell to the earth, crushed beneath the
senseless body of the chief. A dozen clubs flew high in air ready to
descend on the head of Jack, but they hesitated a moment, for the massive
body of the chief completely covered him. That moment saved his life.
Ere the savages could tear the chief's body away, seven of their number
fell prostrate beneath the clubs of the prisoners whom Peterkin and I had
set free, and two others fell under our own hand. We could never have
accomplished this had not our enemies been so engrossed with the fight
between Jack and their chief that they had failed to observe us until we
were upon them. They still out-numbered our party by three, but we were
flushed with victory while they were taken by surprise and dispirited by
the fall of their chief. Moreover, they were awe-struck by the sweeping
fury of Jack, who seemed to have lost his senses altogether, and had no
sooner shaken himself free of the chief's body than he rushed into the
midst of them, and in three blows equalized our numbers. Peterkin and I
flew to the rescue, the savages followed us, and, in less than ten
minutes, the whole of our opponents were knocked down or made prisoners,
bound hand and foot, and extended side by side upon the sea shore.

CHAPTER XX.

Intercourse with the savages--Cannibalism prevented--The slain are buried
and the survivors depart, leaving us again alone on our Coral Island.

After the battle was over, the savages crowded round us and gazed at us
in surprise, while they continued to pour upon us a flood of questions,
which, being wholly unintelligible, of course we could not answer.
However, by way of putting an end to it, Jack took the chief (who had
recovered from the effects of his wound) by the hand and shook it warmly.
No sooner did the blacks see that this was meant to express good-will
than they shook hands with us all round. After this ceremony was gone
through Jack went up to the girl, who had never once moved from the rock
where she had been left, but had continued an eager spectator of all that
had passed. He made signs to her to follow him and then, taking the
chief by the hand, was about to conduct him to the bower when his eye
fell on the poor infant which had been thrown i