nds."

"I agree with you; let us now wait at some little distance from the
rocks till broad daylight, we shall then be secure from surprise."

We did so, and when the sun rose we looked well round, but could see
nobody. We entered the cleft, and were about to lay down the muskets,
and lay hold of the canoe, when I perceived a small piece of rock to
drop down. This caused me immediately to suspect the truth, and I
cried to the Portuguese to come back with me. He did so, and I told
him that I was certain that the Indians had climbed the rock, and were
lying down on the top of it, ready to pounce upon us.

"Depend upon it, they must be there," said he, when I mentioned the
falling piece of rock; "let us walk round and see if we can discover
them."

We did so, but they were too well concealed.

"But what must be done now?" said he. "It is useless our attempting to
clamber to the top of the rock, for no one could do it with a musket
in his hand."

"No," replied I, "that is certain; and if we attempt to bring the
canoe out of the cleft, they may drop down upon us."

"I think," said he, "that if we were to go in and take the tow-rope in
our hands, which is several yards long, we might haul out the canoe by
it, and when once it is clear of the cleft they cannot move without
our seeing them."

"We will try, at all events," replied I. "Do you stay on the watch
while I get hold of the tow-rope and bring it out."

The Indians did not expect this manoeuvre, it was clear. Still keeping
the muskets in our possession, the butts on the sand, and the muzzles
resting on our shoulders, we laid hold of the tow-rope, and by great
exertion hauled the canoe several yards away from between the two
rocks. We then paused for breath after a minute or two, with our eyes
fixed upon the top of the rock to see if they moved, and then we
hauled it at least a hundred yards further off, when for the first
time I perceived that the bow and arrows were not in the canoe, and
that they must have been taken by the Indians.

"Then we must haul again," said the Portuguese, when I stated this to
him, "till we are out of bow-shot. Let us put the muskets into the
canoe, and drag it as fast as we can."

We did so, and gained another hundred yards before we stopped, when an
arrow was discharged from the summit of the rock, and buried itself in
the sand close to my feet.

"Haul again," said the Portuguese, "we are not out of shot yet."

Again we exer