lian burgundy, and sundry other
remnants of the provisions furnished by the hospitable folk of
Palmerston, he voted an immediate adjournment for lunch, and the
officers, with the Smiths, were soon satisfying their clamant hunger.

"How in the world did you know about us?" asked Tom.

"By cable from Brisbane."

"Then our boat did not go down?" said Underhill.

"No; your men lost their sail and rudder, and drifted until they came
into the current along the south coast of New Guinea. They were picked
up by a barque bound for Brisbane, and carried there."

He gave them a rapid summary of his flight across the world. The
sudden change in their fortunes induced a readiness to find amusement
in the most trifling incident, and they laughed loud and long as he
retailed the little mishaps and the comic episodes of his journey.
Then Underhill in his turn related all that had happened since the
wreck, and all became grave again as he told of the capture in the
early morning after their night march, the wild orgy in which their
captors had indulged, the elaborate preparations they had made under
the direction of their sorcerer for the sacrificial rite to which
their captives were destined. But for the appearance of the aeroplane
he had no doubt that within a few short hours they would have been
massacred, and their skulls hung up at the entrance of the huts as
signal marks of the villagers' prowess.

"The poor wretches hate all white men," said Underhill, "and it can
hardly be wondered at. They are recruited to labour in our
plantations, and come back with ailments unknown to them until they
met the white man. They do not distinguish, and a geologist like Dr.
Smith--"

"Ah!" said the doctor anxiously; "my specimens!"

"They are safe, Father," replied Charley. "I saw them in your fort.
The fact that the place had not been looted gave me some hope that you
were still alive. I wonder that the islanders have not made hay of
everything."

"No doubt they deferred the performance until they had disposed of
us," said Underhill. "But now, how do we stand? You have saved us, but
you can't take us all off in your aeroplane."

"A gunboat is on her way here; I passed her; she will arrive soon."

"Hurray!" shouted the men.

"Your men are on her, Mr. Underhill," continued Smith. "She will
probably arrive by the time we get back to the fort."

"That is a difficulty. We must be at least seven or eight miles from
it, and the whole co