y them would die.
He would gladly have retreated to the boats and made another effort to
get them afloat, but should he show any sign of fear, it would to a
certainty encourage the blacks to come on.

"Stand steady, my lads!" he cried; "I'll try once more to make the
savages understand that we don't wish to quarrel with them;" and, taking
up a bough which had formed part of one of the huts, he waved it slowly
backwards and forwards.

The effect at first appeared to be satisfactory, but just then the voice
of the old chief, who had before incited them to attack the strangers,
was again heard, and the savages, encouraged by him, once more drew
their bows; while he, flourishing his club, came forward at their head,
leaping and bounding in the strangest fashion, his followers imitating
his example.

"Tim Nolan," shouted Green, "as soon as I give the word, pick that
fellow off; if Tim misses, do you, Bird, give an account of him. Don't
throw a shot away, my lads, and we'll make them repent interfering with
us."

Green wisely said nothing about the deadly effect of the poisoned
arrows, hoping that the men would not think about them. Just as Green
was about to sing out "Fire!" feeling that it was useless any longer to
entertain hopes of maintaining peace with the savages, a strange-looking
being leaped out from their midst, armed only with a club, which,
placing himself in front of the chief, he whirled round and round in his
face, shouting, at the same time, at the top of his voice. He was a
white man, though scarcely better clothed than the blacks, his body
being tattooed all over with strange devices, while his long carroty
hair hung down over his shoulders. No one attempted to interfere with
him; even the chief came to a standstill, while he bounded backwards and
forwards in front of the horde of savages, shouting and gesticulating in
the most vehement manner conceivable. Having thus succeeded in stopping
the advance of the blacks, he turned round and rushed forward towards
where Green was standing.

"Arrah, shure, Masther Green, it's meself, Paddy Casey, is delighted to
see ye; though little was I after thinking, when I last set eyes on ye,
that the next time ye'd see me I'd be turned into a wild savage!" he
exclaimed.

"What! Pat Casey, my man," cried Green; "of course, I remember you
right well; though I confess I shouldn't have expected to see you, one
of the smartest hands on board the _Tudor_, in your p