ver think of
looking for us in such an unlikely place."

"Humph! that only shows your ignorance," said Corrie.

"Well, I dare say I _am_ very ignorant," replied Alice, meekly.

"No, no! I don't mean _that_," cried Corrie, with a feeling of
self-reproach. "I don't mean to say that you're ignorant in a general
way, you know, but only about what men are likely to do, d'ye see, when
they're hard put to it, you understand. _Our_ feelings are so different
from yours, you know, and--and--"

Here Corrie broke down, and in order to change the subject abruptly he
rolled round towards Poopy, and cried, with considerable asperity:

"What on earth d'ye mean, Kickup, by wriggling about your black body in
that fashion? If you don't stop it you'll fetch way down the hill, and
go slap over the precipice, carrying Alice and me along with you. Give
it up now; d'ye hear?"

"No, me won't," cried Poopy, with great passion, while tears sprang from
her large eyes, and coursed over her sable cheeks. "Me _will_ bu'st dem
ropes."

"More likely to do that to yourself if you go on like that," returned
Corrie. "But, I say, Alice, cheer up" (here he rolled round on his other
side); "I've been pondering a plan all this time to set us free, and now
I'm going to try it. The only bother about it is that these rascally
savages have dropped me beside a pool of half soft mud that I can't help
sticking my head into if I try to move."

"Oh! then, don't move, dear Corrie," said Alice, in an imploring tone of
voice; "we can lie here quite comfortably till papa comes."

"Ah! yes," said Corrie, "that reminds me that I was saying we men feel
and act so differently from you women. Now it strikes me that your
father will go to all the most _unlikely_ parts of the island first;
knowin' very well that niggers don't hide in _likely_ places. But as it
may be a long time before he finds us" (he sighed deeply here, not
feeling much confidence in the success of the missionary's search), "I
shall tell you my plan, and then try to carry it out." (Here he sighed
again, more deeply than before; not feeling by any means confident of
the success of his own efforts.)

"And what is your plan?" inquired Alice, eagerly; for the child had
unbounded belief in Corrie's ability to do almost anything he chose to
attempt, and Corrie knew this, and was proud as a peacock in
consequence.

"I'll get up on my knees," said he, "and then, once on them, I can
easily rise to my feet