d a break in the line of white surf.
During the night we laboured at the oars, and when morning broke we had
succeeded in towing the ship into the open sea for some distance from
the land. But our peril was by no means at an end. An absolute calm
prevailed, and unless a breeze came in time we feared the savages would
put off in their war canoes to attack us. Nor in this were we mistaken,
for we presently heard a great beating of drums and blowing of horns,
while we could see the savages crowding on to the reef, from which they
watched us lying becalmed. Ten canoes then came through the opening in
the reef, each containing some one hundred savages, and were paddled
rapidly toward us.

When the canoes came within range our brass cannon accounted for one of
them, on board of which I hoped was the traitor Vale Vulu, but the
others came on, and there is little doubt that by force of numbers we
must have been overpowered had not the breeze, which we could now see
approaching, come in time to save us. The canoes were all round us, and
the savages had already begun to swarm on to our decks, when the sails
filled and the "Golden Seahorse" began to gather way. We were now
incensed against the cannibals for their treacherous conduct, and many
fell to the discharge of our muskets. With our cutlasses we soon drove
those who had ventured upon the ship into the sea, and a second
discharge from our brass cannon disabled one of the largest remaining
canoes, when the others made off. As our ship bowed to the waves of the
ocean we were able once more to breathe freely, and, taking a last look
at the island, I fancied I saw a dark form hurl itself from one of the
highest cliffs upon the rocks below. Was it the brave girl, I wondered,
who had saved us, and who had thus escaped torture by destroying
herself?

CHAPTER L

AGAIN AT THE MOLUCCAS

Hartog was anxious, before returning home, that we should call again at
the Molucca Islands, and demand an explanation, together with a ransom
of pearls, from King Thedori, for having treated us so scurvily on our
former visit. We knew that this treacherous chief depended for the
success of his piratical schemes on taking by surprise those for whom
he pretended friendship, and for that reason we had arranged to meet
the "Speedwell" so that we might, by strategy, pay Thedori back in his
own coin, capture him, and hold him to ransom.

Now we knew that if Thedori, or any of the people, caught b