l; for
although my bones still ached, and I was very shaky on my legs, my head
was better, and my spirits began to rise. I put on my pyjamas, went on
deck, and had a look round. It was nearly dark, the rain had cleared
off, a young moon was just lifting over the trees, and the little bay
was as quiet as the grave--except for the cries of a colony of flying
foxes which lived in a big _vi_ tree just a cable's length away from the
cutter.

"I knew that the New Britain and New Ireland natives don't like going
out after dark, and that if these people meant mischief to me, they
would wait till just before daylight, when they would expect to find
everyone on board asleep; so, feeling much better and stronger, I turned
in at eight o'clock, and slept till past midnight. I made some coffee,
drank it, and laid down again, dozing off every now and then till just
before dawn. Then I heard a sudden rush on deck, followed by the most
diabolical howls and yells as twenty or thirty niggers jumped overboard
with bleeding feet, many of them leaving their clubs lying on the deck.
I put my head out of the cabin, and gave them half a dozen revolver
shots, but I'm afraid I didn't hit any of the beggars.

"I got away on the same morning, and made a fine run right across St.
George's Channel, and along the New Britain coast till I made Cape
Roebuck. Once the cutter did a steady nine knots for thirty hours. After
running on that reef, I did not drop anchor again till I brought up off
a rocky beach a few miles from here; and there the niggers made another
try to get me, but the broken glass again proved effectual."

"It's a mighty smart dodge, Captain Yorke," said Guest, as we rose and
shook hands with him, for he was going to sleep on board his own vessel.

Chapter III

We lay under the lee of the South Cape or New Britain for nearly a
fortnight, during which time we effected all the necessary repairs to
our own vessel, and fitted Yorke's cutter with a new rudder. So far he
had not told us anything further of his intentions as regarded either
the further prosecution of his trading voyage, or its abandonment.
At breakfast one morning, Guest told him that he (Yorke) could have a
couple of our native hands to help him work the cutter to Manila, or any
other port in the China Seas, if he so desired.

He stroked his big, square jaw meditatively.

"That is very kind of you, Captain Guest," he said; "but to tell you the
exact truth, I don