"

Dick agreed to my plan. As we got near the village, I left him, hid
away in the wood, and stalked forward on my stilts.

I saw Motakee haranguing the people, and recounting his exploits, so I
at once advanced and saluted him, as if I had no reason to be ashamed of
anything I had done. He did not look angry, but told me he was happy to
see me. The boys shouted, and asked where I had been.

"I told you I should beat you," I answered; "and I took a somewhat
longer run than any of you, I've a notion. When shall you be ready for
another race?"

"We will beat you next time, though," they cried out, not putting any
further inconvenient questions to me.

My appearance had somewhat disturbed the usual formality of the meeting,
and the chief, having commanded silence, went on with his speech.

As soon as it was over, I descended from my stilts, and begged him to
grant the petition I had to make. I praised Dick as he had deserved,
and told the chief all he had done for me; and, to my great joy, he
replied that he would protect him, as, his owner being dead, no one else
could claim his services.

On this I hurried off and brought in Dick, who was well received by the
people. I afterwards told the chief the trick I had played, at which he
was very much amused.

Dick at once set to work to make himself useful, and soon gained
Motakee's confidence, so that he allowed us both to roam about as we
chose.

The victory gained by our friends over the Typees, the tribe they had
attacked, had put them in excellent humour. They had burned down their
villages, destroyed their fruit trees, and carried off their canoes.
The slaughter had been, we were sorry to hear, considerable on both
sides; for the Typees possessed several strong forts, formed of large
stones and huge pieces of timber. These had been taken by assault, when
all within had been put to the sword. Dick said he was surprised that
savages could construct such strong works, for it would have proved a
tough job, even to English sailors, to take some of those he had seen.

Months and months passed by, and yet no vessel had come near the island,
in which we might make our escape. The people had got, we suspected, a
bad name; for the _Dolphin_ was not the only vessel, we found, they had
cut off, while they had attempted unsuccessfully to capture several
others. Our only hope was that a man-of-war would come in, which might
carry us off by force, should the nativ