at home."

I thanked the young girl very much for her information, and she having
pointed out the road I was to take, I proceeded on my journey. I went
on till I came to the village. I could easily distinguish the chief's
house, which was considerably larger than that of the other natives.
Some short distance from it was a small hut. It was built in a
different fashion to that of the natives, and not so neatly put
together. On one side was a garden, apparently lately formed, and
carefully cultivated. It struck me at once that it must be the work of
an Englishman. I concealed myself, as before, so that I could watch the
proceedings of the inhabitants. After a time, I saw a woman, with a
basket in her hand, approach the hut: she looked cautiously round, to
ascertain, apparently, that no one was watching her, and then went in.
She was old, and far from comely, but, even at the distance she was from
me, her countenance looked kind and gentle. She soon came out again,
looking about as before, and hurrying away. I observed that her basket
was empty. This convinced me that she had been to take provisions to
the inmate of the hut, whoever he might be. I determined to ascertain
this.

"May I come in," I asked, in the native language.

"Who's there?" was the reply, in English.

I knew the voice; it was Dick's.

He lay on a bed formed of dry grass and mats; I hurried up to him.

"I have found you at last, my dear, dear Dick!" I exclaimed.

"Charley, is it you, yourself? Then you are not dead," he cried out.
"I was told you were, and it well-nigh broke my heart. I shall get well
now though. Where have you been? what have you been about?"

I soon told him, and how I had managed to elude my captors. He
expressed his delight that I had not been ill-treated, as he had been.

"That old chief is a regular tyrant; he made me work for him till I
could work no longer, and then would have let me die of starvation, if a
good woman had not, at the risk of her life, brought me food. Bless
them! they are all alike, black and white, when a fellow is in trouble,
however bad they may be in other respects. Things were not so bad at
first. Tui, who lives not far off, came over with Mat Davis, and helped
me to put up this hut; or otherwise, as far as my old master was
concerned, I should have had to sleep out of doors. He, however, would
not let them come again, and I have had to look out for myself. The
only pleasant th