, me boy, you've gone an' lost yoursilf. Ah, bad scran to 'ee.
Isn't it the fulfilment of your grandmother's owld prophecy, that you'd
come to a bad ind at last? It's little I'd care for your misfortin
myself, if it warn't that you ought to be helpin' poor Mr Hazlit, who's
gone as mad as blazes, an' whose daughter can't be far off. Och! Man
alive," he added, with sudden enthusiasm, "niver give in while there's a
purty girl in the case!"

Under the impulse of this latter sentiment, Rooney started off at a run
in a new and totally unconsidered direction, which, strange to say,
brought him into sudden and very violent contact with some of those
individuals in whom he was interested.

Here we must, in hunters' language, "hark back" on our course for a few
minutes--if, indeed, that _be_ hunters' language! We do not profess to
know much thereof, but the amiable reader will understand our meaning.

Just after the attack had begun, and Mr Hazlit had sallied from the hut
with his war-club, as already related, Aileen became deeply impressed
with the fact that all the women and children who had been wont to visit
and gaze at her in wonder had vanished. The rattling of shot over her
head, too, and the frequent rush of pirates past her temporary abode,
warned her that the place was too much exposed in every way to be safe.
She therefore sought to rouse her companion to attempt flight.

"Laura," she said, anxiously, as a round shot cut in half the left
corner-post of the building, "come, we must fly. We shall be killed if
we remain here."

"I care not," exclaimed Miss Pritty, clasping her friend closer than
ever, and shuddering; "my worst fears have been realised. Let me die!"

"But _I_ don't want to die yet," remonstrated Aileen; "think of _me_,
dear, if you can, and of my father."

"Ah, true!" exclaimed Miss Pritty, with sudden calmness, as she
unclasped her arms and arose. "Forgive my selfishness. Come; let us
fly!"

If the poor lady had owned a private pair of cherubic wings, she could
not have prepared for flight with greater assurance or activity. She
tightened her waist-belt, wrapped her shawl firmly round her, fastened
her bonnet strings in a Gordian knot, and finally, holding out her hand
to her friend, as if they had suddenly changed characters, said, "Come,
are you ready?" with a tremendous show of decision. She even led the
wondering Aileen along a winding path into the jungle for a considerable
dista