top of the rock. No sounds reached our ears. "Now I must go and see if
they are really getting away," I said, "but you stay here. I know my
way through the forest, and one person is less likely to be discovered
than two." I accordingly set out towards the beach, taking my bamboo
spear, which I trailed after me. Some of the pirate vessels had their
sails hoisted, and were gliding out of the bay. The crews of the others
were just shoving them off into deep water. I watched them eagerly, and
at length they all went on board. Still I thought it possible that at
the last moment some might land, and make another search for Macco. I
therefore waited till they were all well out of the bay, and then
hurried back with the satisfactory intelligence to my dark-skinned
friend. "We have reason to be t'ankful, Massa Walter," he observed.
"Dose great cut-t'roats!" I was now much happier than before, having
Macco as my companion; at the same time, I was very anxious to let my
dear Emily know that I was safe. I told Macco of my anxiety.

"Why, then, we not build canoe?" he said. "It take time, but it can be
done."

"But I have only my knife to do it with," I said.

"But I have knife too," he said, drawing out a longish weapon from his
belt.

Still I thought with such weapons our object could not be attained. Two
days after that, as I was walking on the beach, I saw something sticking
up in the sand. I was going to pass it carelessly, when I thought it
was a piece of wrought wood. I went towards it, when great was my
astonishment, and greater still my satisfaction, to find that it was a
Malay axe, which had been left by the pirates in the sand. I called to
Macco, who was at a little distance. "Dere, dere!" he exclaimed. "Now
no difficulty. I use dat well, and build boat." At first I proposed
making a dug-out, but Macco said he had often assisted in boat-building,
and that a plank boat would be far superior.

"But how are we to get the planks?"

"Oh," he said, "I split some of de trees, and work dem down."

"But that would take so very long," I observed.

"Neber mind, Massa Walter. Long time come to end, and work done."

His courage raised my spirits, and I now determined to set heartily to
work in carrying out our proposed undertaking. Several days passed
away, and some progress had been made. Macco had already cut down a
tree, and formed some wedges to split it up with, when one morning,
while he was at