direction in which we had come, and as I was
intently watching the place to make out some sign of the enemy, and
feeling doubtful whether the black was right, I saw a slight movement
and the glint of a flying arrow, which struck the face of the rock a few
feet above my head, and then fell by Jack Penny's hand.

"Mind," I said, as he picked it up; "perhaps it is poisoned."

Ti-hi was eagerly watching my face, and as I spoke he caught the arrow
from Jack's hand, placed it against his arm, and then closed his eyes
and pretended to be dead; but as quickly came to life again, as several
more arrows struck the rock and fell harmlessly among us. These he
gathered together all but one, whose point was broken by coming in
contact with the rock, and that he threw away.

After this he carefully strung the bow that he always, like his fellows,
carried, and looked eagerly at the doctor, who was scanning the ground
in front of us with his little double glass.

"I don't like the look of things, my lads," he said in a low voice, and
his countenance was very serious as he spoke. "I intended for ours to
be a peaceable mission, but it seems as if we are to be forced into war
with two men absent."

"Shall we have to shoot 'em?" said Jack Penny excitedly.

"I hope not," said the doctor, "for I should be sorry to shed the blood
of the lowest savage; but we must fight in defence of our lives. We
cannot afford to give those up, come what may."

Ti-hi fitted an arrow to the string of his short, strong bow, and was
about to draw it, but the doctor laid his hand upon him and checked him,
to the savage warrior's great disgust.

"No," said the doctor, "not until we are obliged; and then I shall try
what a charge of small shot will do."

We were not long in finding out that it was absolutely necessary to
defend ourselves with vigour, for the arrows began to fall thickly--
thickly enough, indeed, to show us that there were more marksmen hidden
among the trees than the size of the clump seemed to indicate from where
we crouched.

I was watching the patch of trees very intently when I heard a sharply
drawn inspiration of breath, and turning I saw the doctor pulling an
arrow from the flannel tunic he wore.

"As doctors say, Joe," he whispered with a smile, "three inches more to
the right and that would have been fatal."

I don't know how I looked, but I felt pale, and winced a little, while
the doctor took my hand.

The force of habi