astily descended the
mountain.

'Quite elated at being so near the Happars, I pushed up the acclivity,
and soon gained its summit. It tapered to a sharp ridge, from whence
I beheld both the hostile valleys. Here I sat down and rested for a
moment, refreshing myself with my cocoanuts. I was soon again pursuing
my way along the height, when suddenly I saw three of the islanders, who
must have just come out of Happar valley, standing in the path ahead of
me. They were each armed with a heavy spear, and one from his appearance
I took to be a chief. They sung out something, I could not understand
what, and beckoned me to come on.

'Without the least hesitation I advanced towards them, and had
approached within about a yard of the foremost, when, pointing angrily
into the Typee valley, and uttering some savage exclamation, he wheeled
round his weapon like lightning, and struck me in a moment to the
ground. The blow inflicted this wound, and took away my senses. As soon
as I came to myself, I perceived the three islanders standing a little
distance off, and apparently engaged in some violent altercation
respecting me.

'My first impulse was to run for it; but, in endeavouring to rise, I
fell back, and rolled down a little grassy precipice. The shock seemed
to rally my faculties; so, starting to my feet, I fled down the path I
had just ascended. I had no need to look behind me, for, from the yells
I heard, I knew that my enemies were in full pursuit. Urged on by their
fearful outcries, and heedless of the injury I had received--though
the blood flowing from the wound trickled over into my eyes and almost
blinded me--I rushed down the mountain side with the speed of the wind.
In a short time I had descended nearly a third of the distance, and the
savages had ceased their cries, when suddenly a terrific howl burst upon
my ear, and at the same moment a heavy javelin darted past me as I fled,
and stuck quivering in a tree close to me. Another yell followed, and
a second spear and a third shot through the air within a few feet of my
body, both of them piercing the ground obliquely in advance of me. The
fellows gave a roar of rage and disappointment; but they were afraid, I
suppose, of coming down further into the Typee valley, and so abandoned
the chase. I saw them recover their weapons and turn back; and I
continued my descent as fast as I could.

'What could have caused this ferocious attack on the part of these
Happars I cou