nd observing that the day was unusually fine, he
resolved to ramble in the cool shades of a neighbouring wood.

"Come, Cuff, my doggie, you an' I shall go for a walk this fine day;
we've much to think about an' talk over, d'ee see, which is best done in
solitary places."

Need we say that Cuffy responded with intense enthusiasm to this
invitation, and that his "spanker boom" became violently demonstrative
as he followed his master into the wood.

Jarwin still wore, as we have said, his old canvas trousers, which had
been patched and re-patched to such an extent with native cloth, that
very little of the original fabric was visible. The same may be said of
his old flannel shirt, to which he clung with affectionate regard long
after it had ceased to be capable of clinging to him without patchwork
strengthening. The remnants of his straw hat, also, had been carefully
kept together, so that, with the exception of the paint on his face,
which Big Chief insisted on his wearing, and the huge South-Sea club
which he carried habitually for protection, he was still a fair specimen
of a British tar.

Paroquets were chattering happily; rills were trickling down the
hillsides; fruit and flower trees perfumed the air, and everything
looked bright and beautiful--in pleasant accordance with the state of
Jarwin's feelings--while the two friends wandered away through the woods
in dreamy enjoyment of the past and present, and with hopeful
anticipations in regard to the future. Jarwin said something to this
effect to Cuffy, and put it to him seriously to admit the truth of what
he said, which that wise dog did at once--if there be any truth in the
old saying that "silence is consent."

After wandering for several hours, they came out of the wood at a part
of the coast which lay several miles distant from Big Chief's village.
Here, to his surprise and alarm, he discovered two war-canoes in the act
of running on the beach. He drew back at once, and endeavoured to
conceal himself, for he knew too well that this was a party from a
distant island, the principal chief of which had threatened more than
once to make an attack on Big Chief and his tribe. But Jarwin had been
observed, and was immediately pursued and his retreat cut off by
hundreds of yelling savages. Seeing this, he ran down to the beach,
and, taking up a position on a narrow spit of sand, flourished his
ponderous club and stood at bay. Cuffy placed himself close behind