too dreadful."

"Then let's both try together, and wrench your arm away."

A peculiar hissing sound came at that moment from the outside of the
_pah_, and Don felt his arm jerked.

"My pakeha! My pakeha!"

"Why, it's Ngati!" whispered Don joyfully; and he laid his disengaged
hand on the massive fist which held him.

The grasp relaxed on the instant, and Don's hand was seized, and held
firmly.

"It's Ngati, Jem," whispered Don, "come to help us."

"Good luck to him!" said Jem eagerly; and he felt for the chiefs great
hand, to pat it, and grasp it in a friendly way.

His grasp was returned, and then they listened as Ngati put his face to
the opening, and whispered a few words, the only part of which they
could understand being,--

"My pakeha. Come."

"Yes; we want to come," whispered Don.

"Tomati. Gone," came back, and then the chief said something rapidly in
his own tongue.

Don sighed, for he could not comprehend a word.

"It's no good trying, Mas' Don," whispered Jem; "and if we don't try to
get away, we mayn't have a chance to-morrow. Let's--Here it is. Quick!
I've got it. You climb up first, get over the top, and hang by your
hands, and wait till I come. We must both drop together, and then be
off. Oh, if we could only make him understand. What a fool of a
language his is."

Don could not even then help thinking that Ngati might have said the
same, but he did not lose a moment. Loosening his hold of the chiefs
hand, he whispered,--

"Pakeha. Come." Then giving himself up to the guidance of Jem, his
hands were placed upon a rough post, and he began to climb, Jem helping
him, somewhat after the fashion in which he had once assisted him to
reach the window.

Then, almost noiselessly, he reached the top, climbed over with ease by
the aid of the lashings, and getting a tight hold of the strong fibrous
bands, he lowered himself down to await Jem's coming.

Ngati was more intelligent than Don had expected, for directly after he
felt two great warm hands placed under to support his bare feet. These
were raised and lowered a little; and, seizing the opportunity, he let
himself sink down, till Ngati placed his feet upon two broad shoulders,
and then Don felt himself seized by the hips, and lifted to the ground.

As this went on Don could feel the post he had climbed vibrating, and
though he could not see, he could tell that Jem had mounted to the top.

"Where are you?" whispered Jem.