it up a large circle round, throwing up the figures of the little
party clearly against the darkness, ready for the spears of the blacks
who might be about to attack them.

"Ah!" shouted Uncle Jack, and seizing a blanket which had been spread
over the grass, where the girls had been seated, he threw it right over
the fire, and in an instant all was darkness.

But the light had spread out long enough for the object which had
startled Hetty to be plainly seen. For there, twenty yards away in
front of a great gum-tree, stood a tall black figure with its gleaming
eyes fixed upon the group, and beneath those flaming eyes a set of white
teeth glistened, as if savagely, in the glow made by the blaze.

"Why, it's Ashantee," cried Norman, excitedly; and he made a rush at the
spot where he had seen the strange-looking figure, and came upon it
where it stood motionless with one foot against the opposite leg, and
the tall stick or spear planted firmly upon the ground.

_Click_, _click_! came from the captain's gun, as he ran forward
shouting, "Quick, all of you, into the tent!"

"What are you doing here?" cried Norman, as he grasped the black's arm.

"Tickpence. Got tickpence," was the reply.

Norman burst into a roar of laughter, and dragged the black forward.

"Hi! father. I've taken a prisoner," he cried.--"But I say, uncle, that
blanket's burning. What a smell!"

"No, no, don't take it off," said the captain; "let it burn now."

Uncle Munday stirred the burning blanket about with a stick, and it
blazed up furiously, the whole glade being lit up again, and the
trembling women tried hard to suppress the hysterical sobs which
struggled for utterance in cries.

"Why, you ugly scoundrel!" cried the captain fiercely, as hanging back
in a half-bashful manner the black allowed himself to be dragged right
up to the light, "what do you mean? How dare you come here?"

"Tick pence," said the black. "You gib tickpence."

"Gib tickpence, you sable-looking unclothed rascal!" cried the captain,
whose stern face relaxed. "Thank your stars that I didn't give you a
charge of heavy shot."

"Tickpence. Look!"

"Why, it's like a conjuring trick," cried Norman, as the native joined
them. "Look at him."

To produce a little silver coin out of one's pockets is an easy feat;
but Ashantee brought out his sixpence apparently from nowhere, held it
out between his black finger and thumb in the light for a minute, so
that all coul