and was
retreating with them, when one of the Indians turned round as if
awaking. I ran past the Portuguese, and making a sign for him to
follow me, we retreated a few yards into the wood, where we could
watch the Indians without being seen ourselves. The Portuguese
motioned to be off, but I detained him, and I was right. The Indian
roused up and sat upon his haunches; perceiving that we had escaped,
he waked up the others. They started on their feet, and looking round,
found that the muskets were all gone; and then they held a
consultation. At last they appeared to have made up their minds to
follow, and, if possible, recapture us, for they went back in the
direction of the sea.

"Now, then, we must hide three of the muskets," said I, in a whisper,
"and keep the others to defend ourselves."

We examined and found that they were all loaded, and the Portuguese
then said to me, "There are five of them. If they meet with us, and we
discharge two muskets and we do not kill, we shall be at their mercy.
If we do kill, still there will be three against two; we had better
carry all the muskets. Do you take two, and I will take three."

As I thought he was right, I consented, and we now went the same path
towards the sea which the Indians had done before us in pursuit of us.
We walked fast, as we knew the Indians would do the same, and they had
the start of us, so that we were not likely to come up with them. It
was severe work, but we did not slacken our pace, and before dawn the
sea was quite visible through the branches of the trees, for we had
arrived at the outskirts of the wood.

As soon as we had gained the beach, which was 500 yards wide, we
looked round to see if we could perceive the Indians, but we could
observe nobody.

"Let us, while it is yet dark, go round so as to get on the opposite
side of the rocks where we were concealed," said the Portuguese. "If
they are there, we shall take them by surprise."

Keeping just within the wood, we walked half a mile to the southward,
and then emerged just as the day was breaking, and made for the rocks.
As soon as we arrived, we examined very cautiously before we entered
the cleft, but there was nobody there, and the canoe was safe.

"They are not here," said I; "where can they be?"

"They cannot be far off," said the Portuguese; "I suspect they are
hidden somewhere, and intend to surprise us while we are launching our
canoe, and when our muskets will be out of our ha