d, was the case. She spoke kindly to me, and I had no reason to
fear that I should be ill-treated.

After this Motakee led out his people, all armed with clubs, and
hatchets, and spears; the heads of the principal men being decorated
with plumes of feathers, but, with the exception of cloths round their
waists, entirely destitute of clothing. From this I knew that they were
about to proceed on some warlike expedition, and, though they felt
confident of success, I could not help remembering that they might be
defeated; and should they be so, what would become of me? Again I asked
the chief if he could give me any information about Dick? My heart sank
within me; for, from the reply he made, he led me to suppose that some
accident had happened to my faithful friend.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

MOOLA.

Old Moola kept a watchful eye on me, as if she divined my intention of
trying to make my escape to go in search of Dick on the first
opportunity which might occur.

I concluded that if the warriors were away he would be less carefully
looked after than usual, and would try to find me; for I was very sure
that he was as anxious about me as I was about him.

There were a good many other boys in the village, and I used to play
with them, and did my best to excel them in all their sports. I found,
after some practice, that I could walk on stilts as well as they could.
I induced them to run races, and I very frequently came off the victor.
They had an advantage, from being more lightly clad than I was, that is
to say, while I wore my shirt and trousers, they had no clothing
whatever.

The women, meantime, were employed in their usual domestic occupations,
in making cloth by beating out the bark of the paper-mulberry tree, and
manufacturing mats and baskets. I afterwards observed that they were
always employed in such occupations, while the men, when at home,
cultivated the fields, and caught fish with nets and fish-hooks, the
latter formed of mother-of-pearl, as also with bone, and wooden
harpoons. Besides the articles I have mentioned, they make calabashes
from gourds, and kava-cups formed of the cocoa-nut, as also cradles for
their children, hollowed out of a log with great neatness. They also
use small chests, which are in like manner hollowed out of solid pieces
of wood, with covers to them, and wooden bowls and stands, on which
various objects are hung out of the way of the rats. Those animals are
great pests, an