e necessary he would give his
life cheer-fully for me--yes, I KNOW it.

It took us a long time to work around the islands and draw in close to
Anoroc. In the leisure afforded we took turns working on our map, and
by means of the compass and a little guesswork we set down the
shoreline we had left and the three islands with fair accuracy.

Crossed sabers marked the spot where the first great naval engagement
of a world had taken place. In a note-book we jotted down, as had been
our custom, details that would be of historical value later.

Opposite Anoroc we came to anchor quite close to shore. I knew from my
previous experience with the tortuous trails of the island that I could
never find my way inland to the hidden tree-village of the Mezop
chieftain, Ja; so we remained aboard the Sari, firing our express
rifles at intervals to attract the attention of the natives.

After some ten shots had been fired at considerable intervals a body of
copper-colored warriors appeared upon the shore. They watched us for a
moment and then I hailed them, asking the whereabouts of my old friend
Ja.

They did not reply at once, but stood with their heads together in
serious and animated discussion. Continually they turned their eyes
toward our strange craft. It was evident that they were greatly
puzzled by our appearance as well as unable to explain the source of
the loud noises that had attracted their attention to us. At last one
of the warriors addressed us.

"Who are you who seek Ja?" he asked. "What would you of our chief?"

"We are friends," I replied. "I am David. Tell Ja that David, whose
life be once saved from a sithic, has come again to visit him.

"If you will send out a canoe we will come ashore. We cannot bring our
great warship closer in."

Again they talked for a considerable time. Then two of them entered a
canoe that several dragged from its hiding-place in the jungle and
paddled swiftly toward us.

They were magnificent specimens of manhood. Perry had never seen a
member of this red race close to be-fore. In fact, the dead men in the
canoe we had left astern after the battle and the survivors who were
paddling rapidly toward their shore were the first he ever had seen.
He had been greatly impressed by their physical beauty and the promise
of superior intelligence which their well-shaped skulls gave.

The two who now paddled out received us into their canoe with dignified
courtesy. To my inqui