"Smell the mussels now, my lad?" cried Wriggs triumphantly.

"Hysters, I tells yer!" cried Smith, excitedly, as, with a leap like a
panther, he sprang right upon his messmate's back, sending him down
heavily upon his breast with Smith lying flat upon him.

Wriggs screwed his head round to look in his companion's face, which was
only a few inches away.

"Whatcher do that there for?" he asked, plaintively.

"Can't you see, stoopid?" growled Smith. "Look."

He pointed straight away to where, about half a mile distant, a couple
of large canoes, crowded with men, were coming swiftly along the smooth
waters of the lagoon, their occupants apparently aiming for a point
opposite to where the two sailors lay.

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

BY THE SKIN OF THEIR TEETH.

"Murder!" said Wriggs, in a low voice.

"That there will be, Billy, if them chaps don't let us alone. Look
here, mate, it aren't their island; they lives somewheres else, or they
wouldn't want a boat--bah! I don't call them holler logs boats--to get
here. Who are they, I should like to know? Just a-cause we're ashore,
and can't get our ship afloat they think they're going to do just what
they please with us. But we've got guns, Billy, and we know how to use
'em, mate, and if they think as they're going to collar off all there is
aboard the _Planet_, they're jolly well out of their reckoning, eh,
Billy?"

Smith had by this time shifted himself to his messmate's side and was
looking at him earnestly, but Wriggs did not stir, he only rested his
chin upon his hands and stared hard at the two canoes.

"Now, then, d'yer hear what I said?"

Wriggs gave a short nod.

"Well, say something, then. What'cher thinking about?"

"I was a thinking, Tommy, as it warn't no use for you to go on talking,
when we ought to be toddlin' back and telling the three gents as we're
in a mess."

"Well, there is something in that, Billy. What d'yer say, then, shall
we run and tell 'em?"

"No, Tommy; if we gets up and begins to run, them crystal minstrel
chaps'll see us, and come arter us like hooray. We oughter congeal
ourselves back again."

"How are we to, when there aren't no trees to congeal behind?"

"This how," said Wriggs. "I'm off. You foller arter me same way."

As soon as he had done speaking, he laid his gun close down by his side
and began to roll himself over and over with such rapidity that he was
some yards away before Smith thought of imitating hi