now
called him (for he seemed to be the chief of this delectable community),
reached our ears. He made signs to us that we were to take two of the
canoes and go into the bay to fish, as the women were doing.

"Dat bery good," observed Macco. "Me know how to catch more fish dan
dem."

We found a number of lines, with hooks made of the bones of birds, hung
up in the house. When we offered to take them, Prince Frizzlepate
nodded his permission. Macco also borrowed one of their knives, with
which to cut some shell-fish from the rocks to serve as bait. We had
fortunately not consumed all our sago or fish; and these, hidden in our
pockets, we took with us, for our masters apparently had no intention of
providing us with food. We quickly got the bait, and, guided by Macco--
he being in one of the canoes, and Oliver and I in the other--we paddled
off to a point near where the women were fishing. Soon after we let
down our lines, Macco hauled up a fine fish. He caught double as many
as Oliver and I together.

We naturally talked of the possibility of making our escape in the
canoe; but where to go to was the difficulty. We saw also that we were
observed from the huts, a large canoe being apparently kept ready to
make chase should we attempt to paddle off. After a little time, we ate
the provisions we had brought with us, turning our backs towards the
shore as we did so, for fear our masters might observe it. We were
already beginning to practise some of the arts of slaves. Having caught
a good supply of fish, we paddled back towards the shore.

"I vote we land on the beach, instead of going back to those dirty
huts," I observed. And Oliver agreed with me. Macco, however, seemed
rather doubtful that we should bring down on our heads the displeasure
of our masters. The women had landed some time before. Either the men
were sleeping, or they did not think it worth while to call us, and,
reaching the beach, we landed and hauled up our canoes.

Oliver proposed that we should light a fire and cook some of our fish.
A flame was soon produced by Macco, in his usual way, with two pieces of
bamboo; and we soon had our fish cooking before it. Having finished our
meal, we walked a little way into the country. We had not gone far when
we observed a small hut, raised from the ground, somewhat like those on
the beach. Near it, leaning on a bank, we saw a woman who appeared very
like the kind person who had brought us ou