Part 15 (1/2)

The vessel was at last built, and ready to be launched She was a schooner of about forty tons, and capable of carrying sixty or eighty men The natives declared that none of their island canoes would be able to contend with her It took so her, and to obtain suitable provisions and casks for holding water

I don't knohether Motakee suspected the design of the English a cruise in her, he replied that he would not expose ht encounter, and I found that I was more narroatched than ever

dick ca very much out of spirits

”The other ree to it,” he said ”They intend to let as many natives as choose to coht of land, to rise upon them and heave them overboard, so that their provisions and water should not be exhausted, should they have to o without you”

Motakee had not entered into the views of his country: he either suspected their design or believed that she would not prove as successful in attacking their foes as the rest supposed When I asked his leave to go on board, he took me by the arm and whispered--

”I know your tricks; you should not have told et away and join your friend No, no; I shall shut you up till the vessel has sailed”

He was as good as his word, and from that day I was not allowed to leave the hut without the company of one of his o about as he chose, apparently caring but little whether or not he made his escape

dick had been absent for three days I could not believe that he had gone without me, and yet I felt very anxious about hione, Charley,” he exclaimed; ”all our people and thirty natives I stopped to the last, trying to persuade theive up their wicked plan; but they answered that the natives had murdered our friends and burned our shi+p, and that they had a right to treat theht not to return evil for evil, and that theytheir escape, and that no good could possibly come of what they were about

They abusedto betray them, and that if I would not come with them, I must take the consequences, as the natives were sure to murder us, as soon as they discovered what had beco in not warning Motakee, for I consented to evil, though I would not join in it”

When Motakee found that the schooner had sailed, he allowed o about as usual, and treated dick with far more respect than before

dick, indeed, soon becaht-hand man, or councillor, and the people looked up to him as the person next to the chief, in consequence

Some days after this it came on to blow very hard, and the sea beat with tremendous fury on the rocky coast dick and I wished to have a sight of the huge breakers outside the harbour We went along the shore for some distance, to a part exposed to the whole sweep of the ocean As ere looking along it, dick exclaimed that he saw a vessel on the rocks

We et to the spot

”Charley, I am afraid that is the schooner,” dick exclai on board”

We crept on still closer to the little vessel We shouted loudly, lest any one ht have been washed on shore, but no reply came to our cries

”I am afraid every one has been washed away,” he observed ”If the natives had been on board, they are such first-rate swied to reach the land”

We looked about in every direction, but could discover no boats on the beach nor any sign of a living man

”It's too likely that our people did as they intended, and having got rid of the natives, were theht in the hurricane and driven back here; but we shall never know, I suspect, what has happened”

After spending a considerable tiet nearer the wreck, we returned home We told Motakee e had seen; but, of course, did not e would work us no good, to your people or lad you did not sail in the vessel”

We were, indeed, thankful that we had not

Next day, when the hurricane was over, ent back with so on board, we could find nothing to explain the mystery dick's opinion was that the crew had been on deck, and ashed overboard before the vessel struck, some time after they had disposed of the unfortunate natives in the way they had proposed

I have not spoken of the various events which had taken place since we caht his eneth another expedition was talked of against a powerful tribe at some distance He told dick he o, too

”No, Charley; you o and fight other savages in a quarrel in which I have no concern, and I would not go if I could stay aithout offending the chief I don't want to kill any of the fellows, and I don't wish to be killed either”

The warriors were preparing to take their departure, when, early in the ht of a shi+p approaching the island I watched her eagerly, and when, at length, I felt sure she was standing towards the harbour, I ran back to tell dick