ttempt to extinguish the fire. The men who had been aloft had
clung to the mast when it fell, though we could scarcely hope that they
had escaped uninjured. We saw, however, that several of them were still
hanging on to it, while it floated free of the burning ship. The
natives, on discovering them, approached the mast, and dragged them into
their canoes. What they intended to do with them we could not tell, but
we feared that they would murder them, as we supposed they also would
us.

The young chief who had taken possession of us had not reached the ship
when she blew up, and we now saw him and his people landing in the
little bay above which we were seated. We had made no attempt to
conceal ourselves. He beckoned to us to come down.

"We must put a bold face on the matter," said Dick, taking my hand.
"Cheer up, Charley. I don't think he intends to hurt you; and if he
kills me, remember, do your best to escape, and don't turn into a
savage, as they are sure to try and make you, and cover you all over
with tattoo marks."

"Oh, they must not kill you, Dick; they sha'n't kill you!" I cried out.
"I will let them kill me first."

I felt, indeed, that I would much rather be put to death than see my
kind friend murdered before my eyes.

Dick, leading me by the hand, approached the chief, whose club I
expected every moment to see upraised to strike us dead. Instead of
doing so, however, looking at me kindly, he took me by the hand and made
a speech to Dick, which we, of course, could not understand, but which,
from its tone, relieved us somewhat from our apprehensions. I
afterwards discovered that it was to the effect that he had promised to
befriend us; and knowing that the destruction of the ship and the death
of his people was not owing to as, that would not alter his purpose.

"Thank you kindly, sir," said Dick, touching his hat sailor-fashion.
"If you will treat this boy well, it's all I care for. I speak him
fair, Charley, for your sake," he said to me, "and by the cut of his
jib, I think he will be as good as his word."

The chief, whose name we found was Motakee, or "The good-looking one,"
now addressed his people, who had been casting somewhat threatening
glances at us, and, I suspect, had we been left to their tender mercies,
would very soon have knocked us on the head. Our new friend having
appointed several of his people to guard us, told us to follow him along
the shore. After going a short d