just abreast, and it was
evident that they meant to attack on each side of our poor little boat,
which looked so small beside the long war-canoes, each of which
contained about forty men.

They uttered a loud yell now, for the boat seemed to stand still and the
sail began to flap, and, somehow, just then, as I felt what dreadful
danger we were in, I began thinking about Clapham Common, and running
there in the sunshine, while Uncle Joe looked blandly on, evidently
enjoying my pursuits.

Just then half a dozen spears were thrown, and I nearly fell overboard,
only saving myself by making a snatch at one of the stays.

It was not that I was struck by a spear, but that the boat had given a
leap and bent down till it seemed as if she would capsize. In fact she
would have gone down with her sail flat upon the water if I had not
eased off the sheet as she went slipping through the waves at a
tremendous rate.

It was a work of moments, and then when I turned my head it was to see
that the canoes were double the distance behind, with the savages
paddling furiously; but I saw that if the wind held, their case was like
that of a pet spaniel running after a greyhound, for our boat kept
careening over and literally racing through the sea.

In five minutes I found that the canoes were so far behind that we had
no more cause for fear, and, altering our course so as to sail gently on
about a mile from the shore, I gave Ebo the sheet to hold, knelt down,
bathed Uncle Dick's face, and bound up a great cut that had laid open
his head.

My work had its reward, for, partly from the freshness of the water,
partly from the pain I must have caused him, my uncle revived, stared
wildly about him for a few minutes, and then, as he realised our
position, he muttered a little to himself, and ended by shaking hands
with me and Ebo, holding the black palm of the latter in his own for
some moments, as he looked our follower in the face.

"I was much to blame, Nat," he said at last.

"I ought to have been more guarded; but I could not think that these
people were so treacherous."

CHAPTER FORTY.

WE SECURE FRESH TREASURES.

Our injuries soon grew better, but though we kept on sailing for days
and days past the most tempting-looking spots, we never dared to land,
for always as soon as we neared some gloriously-wooded track, all hill,
dale, and mountain, and amidst whose trees the glasses showed us plenty
of birds, the inhabitants be