d married one of his
daughters. Now I'm a great man among them. I didn't hear of your
having been brought here till half an hour ago, havin' bin away with a
war party in canoes. I returned just too late to save your comrades."

"What! are they all dead?" asked Will Osten.

"Ay, all, and if you don't follow them it will only be by attending to
what I tell you. My name is Buchanan, but the savages can only manage
to make Bukawanga out o' that. The word means fire, and ain't a bad one
after all!"

The man smiled grimly as he said this, and then resumed, more rapidly
and sternly than before:--

"You have but one chance, and that is to join us. I have come to the
village with the news that a neighbouring tribe is about to attack us.
If you agree to help us to fight, I may manage to save you; if not your
case is hopeless. There is no time for consideration. Ay or no, that's
the word."

"Sure I'll jine ye, Mr Bukkie Whangy," said Larry O'Hale, "wid all the
pleasure in life. It's always for fightin' I am, at laist whin--"

"I don't like to shed human blood," said Captain Dall, interrupting,
"where I've no quarrel."

"Then your own must be shed," said Bukawanga firmly.

"There's no help for it, captain," said Will Osten. "'Tis better to
fight for these men than to be murdered by them. What say you, Mr
Cupples?"

"War," replied the mate emphatically.

"Ditto," said Muggins, nodding his head and buttoning his jacket.

"Then strip, and we'll paint you right off," said Bukawanga; "look
alive, now!"

He fastened the torch which he held in his hand to a beam of the hut,
and cut the bonds of the prisoners; then, going to the door, he summoned
two men, who came in with a basket made of leaves, in which were several
cocoa-nut shells filled with red, white, and black earth, or paint.

"What!" exclaimed Will Osten, "must we fight without clothing?"

"An' wid painted skins?" said Larry.

"Yes, unless you would be a special mark for the enemy," replied
Bukawanga; "but you have no chance if you don't become in every way like
one of us."

Seeing that the man was in earnest, they were fain to submit. After
removing their clothes, the natives began diligently to paint them from
head to foot, laying on the colours so thickly, and in such bold
effective strokes, that ere long all appearance of nudity was removed.
Man is a strange being. Even in the midst of the most solemn scenes he
cannot resist giving way at tim