With Cochrane the Dauntless

h of climbing canes and vines. Some of these were armed with terrible thorns, and as they had no hatch

and down the trunks, and many an angry exclamation was wrung from the seamen as a bite as sharp as the sting of

ikely to starve, for I have seen nothing whatever to eat since we entered the wood. Even if some of the trees did bear frui

er put to sea and take my chance than keep on being stung by these a

ome place where it is more open, and may even strike on a stream. If we could do that we might patch up the [pg 70]boat and pull

the thorns. They made their way back carefully, and there was a general exclamation of satisfaction when the light could be see

a mass of bumps. It is as bad as if one had been attacked by a swarm

. After walking for two miles they gave a shout of joy, for a river some fifty yards wide is

getting in through the rollers on the bar, at least I should not like to try it. So we have got to drag her here somehow. It will be a tough job, but as there seems no chance of getting fo

n. They breakfasted on a biscuit, with a full allow[pg 71]ance of water, and then set to work at the boat. The thorns answered their purpose as nails admirably, and the planks soon were securely fast

it?" said Mr. Towel. "Can

way-they were not thicker than string, but there was no breaking them, and I should think that they would do-that with them w

hen. At any rate, it

ose climbers, sir, and some lon

e it is cooler in the forest than it is on the sands. We shall want a good

t a knife with many blades, one of them being a long pricker. "It was given to me the day before we

to make a fire and heat that pricker of yours red-hot. It would make the work a great deal easier, and there will be less [

they should lie down there in the shade until the sun had lost its power, for th

ut. The sun is nearly overhead, so it will be another four or five hours before we can set to work. I will take the first watch

y together, and the piercer had to be heated two or three times for each hole, two worked by turns while the rest slept, and by sunrise the holes were all finished. Then the work of sewing the planks together began, the boat being turned on its side to allow the string, as they c

h a satisfied air at the work. "Now, what it wants is a

flying in and out of the trees. If we could

ough. Five minutes' bailing occasionally will keep her dry enough, I am sure, at any rate f

not drag her along. Then they tried carrying her, the mate, the two boys, and two men on one side, and the other four men on t

ould not be too great for us. Let us go up to the wood, lads, and chop four poles, turn her ove

the sand at equal distances apart, and turned the boat over upon them; then a man took each end of a pole, the two boys taking one end together, and at a word lifted the boat with comparative ease. It was very hard work under the blazing sun, and they had to stop every hu

"there may be sharks or alligator

andles to add to their strength. This took them all the afternoon. When the sun had lost its power they put the boat into the water, and made an experimental trip in her, and were glad to see that the seams were almost water-tight, an

ce inquired, looking with d

nd got to know, I think, all there was to know with regard to steering a boat in a surf

asked who volunteere

wel," Joyce said, "if

of the tree with your knees. Then with your hands you shift the loop up as high as you can, and lean against it. Get a sort of purchase, and so shift your knees

ree. As soon as he was at the top he broke off the [pg 75]nuts and dropp

en remarked as the first came to the ground

instead of the inside nut being enveloped in fibre the whole thing is soft, and, you see"-here he suited the act

taking long draughts of the sweet, cool liquor, which

e milk is so cool,

ow hot the weather, the milk of fresh cocoa-nuts i

raped the soft cream-like paste which lined the inside, and w

e with food, and as there are trees along here as far as we can see, we need not worry ourselves as to victuals. We

ddle up the river the next day, leaving two of their numbe

ouple of days' labour is enough for them to put up fresh huts. But in the places they have occupied we are sure to find bananas; and if we can but get a boat-load of them we shall be victualled for a voyage, and after waiting long enough to give the ship a chance of finding us, the sooner we are off the better. Many of these islands are inhabited by tribes that spare no one who falls into their hands, and it would be better to take our chance on the sea than to remain here. There are a good many little Dutch settlements scattered about. What we ha

a sharp look-out. You won't

the trees overhanging the river. As a rule, I should not like to shoot the beasts. They are too much like human beings. But if we can get a supply of meat it

n bring the natives down o

than those hills; for I believe it is there that they principally do what cultivation there is-in the first place, because it is cooler, and i

the day, had been thrown down, two or three of the sailors adopting the means the ma

er Stephen?" Wilcox said as they watched the b

Wilcox, what

just round the turn of the river. All these chaps are pirates when they get a chance, every mother's son of them, and there may be half a dozen war-canoes lying a mile up this river. It would be natural that they should be somewhere near its mouth, ready to start out if a sail is sighted, or news is brought to them tha

or so of sand, so that it would not have been noticed by a boat a short way out. But if there is a village up here, why, a boat might come down any moment to do some fishing, and there we should be caught at once; as for getting away with them makeshift paddles, it would not be worth even thinking of.

g up the river. If we were to fill up with cocoa-nuts they would last us for a week

suppose, Mr. Stephen, and find out

ery day with the chronometers, and find that it does not gain more than half a minute a day, so that at the present moment it is not much more than a minute out by them, and if I had had t

it would help us wonderful if we could find

k, ten or twelve feet long. If I fix that upright in sand the shadow would help us. It was the 25th of March yesterday, and the sun at noon would therefore be exactly overhead of the line at twelve o'clock. Therefore, if we have

eral times so as to assure themselves that it was perfectly upright, and then returned

e of them monkeys

. "How far are they off, do

on they would be above two miles anyhow, that is if the stream is as strong up there as it is here. They were making very slow way against it when they started. I reckon they

eard a gun again; it was quickly

lcox exclaimed in

en said. "Listen. There are f

ar in a minute if they fire again. They have all emptied their pieces. If they load quick and fire again it will be a bad sign. There they are!" he broke off as two shots were heard. "I

rees, keeping close to the bank, so that we can look through the bushes without being seen. If the boat comes

was about to turn off into

cox. There is no saying whether we shall come back to

eam was bordered by a thick undergrowth, which afforded an effectual screen for anyone behind it. After

ddles!" Ste

," he went on after listening again, "there is more than one canoe. That

en killed, the others may have been taken prisone

rs a day or two till they made a grand feast and killed them; but that firing we heard settles it to my mind. I should say there ain't no manner of doub

a mile the rowers broke into a sort of ch

g abreast, rounded a turn in the river a short distance aw

g at a high rate of speed. The sailo

it?" St

each of the canoes, piled up by the

n said, drawing back from his

ut it. I would give all my pay for the voyage to have the Tiger's

ss of the second mate, who had always been cheery and kind, and of his fellow apprentice, Joyce, completely unnerved

d on his shoulder. "It is a bad job, there ain't no denying it. What happened to them

as he rose to his feet. "In the fir

ch boat; there may have been three,

out if any of them are still alive, and if so we

care much for his life; and at least if we are caught we can polish off a few

entice, and you are an experienced sailor; and now that we

g to do all I can; and if we find there is any of our mate

anoes are going to pu

t of the canoes, and found the place where we camped last night. We walked about there a good bit, and it ain't likely they will be able to find out whether there was seven or nine of us. Besides, I don't

void the full force of the current, and the sailor and Stephen attempted to count the heads in their sterns. Th

en said. "In that case one man may have been made pr

and litter caught among the bushes, that in times of flood the river must overflow its banks and extend a long distance into the forest. From time to time they had to wade waist-deep

d I know that the natives, before they cross streams where the brutes are lik

oaring sound made by horns. They now went on more cautiously, and presently could make out through the trees a large native village standing upon rising ground by the side of the river. Creeping cautiously to the edge of the bush they could see that a l

ape with us," Wilcox said, "I would pour a volley int

nk they are goin

it," the sailor replied; "they are go

orror and disgust. "Do you mean to

tribes are cannibals and some ain't, and I reckon by what I se

never had much practice at that, Wilc

ain't above a hundred and fifty yards away, and the ground ain't more than twenty feet above the river. I should say that this tree was seventy or eighty feet high, so that from the top you can get a view pretty well over the place; if [pg 85]there is one of our chaps there he may be lying tied up somewhere. Of

ld manage that

was lowest. "If you can't reach it from my shoulder, sir, you step on my head. I can ho

p at the tree; "directly it gets above the level of t

climb upon my shoulders. You had best t

when he had gained the smaller branches at the top of the tree he looked out through an opening in the foliage. The village seemed to lie almost at his feet, and he could see every object on the ground. It was not long before he perceived a figure lying full length in front of one of the huts, close to the spot where the people were gathered. It was [pg 86]certainly an European, and from the whiteness of the trousers he felt sure that it was either the mate or Joyce. He counted the number of huts, and found tha

r asked, as Stephen dropped

e; whether he is alive or dead, of course I can't say. I did not see him move, but no doubt he would be tied hand and foot

t is better than I had hoped. If we

reet to the hut opposite. The prisoner is lying in front of that, I mean on the river side of it. Of course, there is no doing anything until the sun has set, except that we might work round to th

river coming back we can't lose our way, that is one comfort. Well, let us work round at once, and then we shall see how the land lies. It is like enough that as soon as they have got a big fire made up, and

ed up through the thick bushes and stood within a few yards of the sixth hut. The swamp had been very deep on the way, and they had had the greatest difficulty in getting through it. Stephe

I will crawl along by the side of the hut and have a look up and down the s

e they had congregated. He rejoined his companion, and they waited an hour. By this time perfect silence had fallen on the village.

ry to cut the ropes, and bring him here at once. If there is a guard over him I will come back again to you. We o

h a hundred of those fellows after us. You had better draw your sword, and leave the scabbard and belt here. In the first place, it is handier to have the sword ready; and it is not so likely to knoc

e mass of embers and thought of what was lying below them. There was no one about-the whole of the natives had retired to their huts. In another moment he was beside the prisoner. It was Joyce. Bands of cord-like creepers were wrapped round his legs; his wrists were tied together, and fr

ephen whispered in his

his closed ey

O THE RESCUE OF

t speak," Ste

you, Steve, or

ll soon get these things off you." Drawing his jack-knif

ight, only being pegged out like

side while he cut the fastenin

u had better wriggle yourself along un

first, and as soon as he saw that the street was empty he beckoned to his companion, and they ran across to the other side; a moment later they joined the sailo

" Joyce gasped, as he finis

ilor whispered, as he turned and led the way; "ev

the suck of the air as they drew them out made a sound that startled them. At last they reached the tree where they had left all the c

een awful. I will [pg 90]tell you about it afterwards. I tried to make up my mind to stand it bravely,

ain to his feet. "I am rea

hose beggars wake up and find you have gone, they will s