ng them. But they were not permitted to communicate
with each other. Presently the whole party emerged from the wild
mountain gorges, through which they had been passing for some time, and
proceeded in single file along a narrow path that skirted the precipices
of the coast. The cliffs here were nearly a hundred feet high. They
descended sheer down into deep water; in some places even overhung the
sea.

Here John Bumpus, having recovered from the stunning effects of the blow
dealt him by Keona, renewed his struggles, and rendered the passage of
the place not only difficult, but dangerous to himself as well as to his
enemies. Just as they reached a somewhat open space on the top of the
cliffs, Jo succeeded, by almost superhuman exertion, in bursting his
bonds. Keona, foaming with rage, gave an angry order to his followers,
who rushed upon Bumpus in a body as he was endeavouring to clear himself
of the cords. Although John struck out manfully, the savages were too
quick for him. They raised him suddenly aloft in their arms and hurled
him headlong over the cliff!

The horror of his friends on witnessing this may easily be imagined, but
every other feeling was swallowed up in terror when the savages,
apparently rendered bloodthirsty by what they had done, ran towards
Alice, and, raising her from the ground, hastened to the edge of the
cliff, evidently with the intention of throwing her over also.

Before they accomplished their fiendish purpose, however, a sound like
thunder burst upon their ears and arrested their steps. This was
immediately followed by another crash, and then came a series of single
reports in rapid succession which were multiplied by the echoes of the
heights until the whole region seemed to tremble with the reverberation.

At first the natives seemed awe-stricken. Then, on becoming aware that
the sounds which originated all this tumult came from the direction of
their own village, they dropped Alice on the ground, fled precipitately
down the rugged path that led from the heights to the valley and
disappeared, leaving the three captives, bound and helpless, on the
cliffs.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

DANGEROUS NAVIGATION AND DOUBTFUL PILOTAGE--MONTAGUE IS HOT, GASCOYNE
SARCASTIC.

We turn now to the _Talisman_, which, it will be remembered, we left
making her way slowly through the reefs towards the northern end of the
island, under the pilotage of Gascoyne.

The storm, which had threatened