e following morning it was found that the tree had
fallen.

"The fellows know their business," Mr. Ryan said to the man who rowed
the stroke-oar. "You see that they managed so that it should fall
towards the water. Now, lads, you can take to the axes we have brought
with us and chop it through at the point where we want it cut; it will
save the trouble of getting off the upper branches, and render it much
more handy for getting afloat."

Leaving two of the men in the boat, Mr. Ryan and the other four leapt
ashore, and were not long in cutting through the tree. Another half-hour
sufficed to lop off all the branches below this point, and the trunk was
then ready for launching. The natives stood round watching the work with
exclamations of surprise at the speed with which the keen axes did their
work. Mr. Ryan had brought with him from the ship a number of presents,
and these he distributed among the party who had been engaged in felling
the tree.

"I do not know," he said to the captain when he returned, "whether they
mean to get the stick in the water and bring it here, or whether they
expect we shall do that part of the business ourselves."

"I think we will wait until to-morrow morning, Mr. Ryan. If we hear
nothing of them by then you had better take two boats--one with men to
do the work, the other to lie just off and protect them while they do
it."

There was, however, no occasion for this, for early the next morning
seven or eight canoes were seen coming round the point with much beating
of tom-toms and sounding of conch horns.

"Here comes the spar!" the captain exclaimed; "the worst of our
difficulties is over, thank goodness!"

"I would keep an eye open, Ryan, if I were you," Mr. Atherton said as
the mate passed him to give orders for preparing to get the spar on
deck. "There are a good many other canoes coming off from the shore,
and they might take the opportunity for making a sudden attack."

"Right you are," the mate said. "Let the starboard watch," he shouted,
"keep their arms handy! Four men with muskets take their place at the
top of the gangway, but do not show the arms unless you get orders to do
so!"

The trunk was towed alongside the ship. Mr. Atherton and the party who
had placed themselves under his orders kept a vigilant watch on the
canoes to see if the occupants were armed. There was a deal of talking
and gesticulating going on among them, but no arms could be seen, and
Mr. Atherton so