islands on the western side of the group; and even if landed on
the central island, there is only one route, and that a crooked one,
which will bring them here without the assistance of their canoes. We
are reasonably well fortified, Betts, through natural agencies, on that
side; and I do not apprehend seeing anything more of the fellows until
morning."

"What a misfortin 'tis that they should ever have discovered the Reef!"

"It certainly is; and it is one, I confess, I had not expected. But we
must take things as they are, Betts, and do our duty. Providence--that
all-seeing Power, which spared you and me when so many of our shipmates
were called away with short notice--Providence may still be pleased to
look on us with favour."

"That puts me in mind, Mr. Mark, of telling you something that I have
lately l'arn'd from Jones, who was about a good deal among the savages,
since his friend's marriage with Peggy, and before he made his escape to
join us. Jones says that, as near as he can find out, about three years
ago, a ship's launch came into Betto's Land, as we call it--Waally's
Country, however, is meant; and that is a part of the group I never
ventured into, seeing that my partic'lar friend, Ooroony, and Waally,
was always at daggers drawn--but a ship's launch came in there, about
three years since, with seven living men in it. Jones could never get a
sight of any of the men, for Waally is said to have kept them all hard
at work for himself; but he got tolerable accounts of them, as well as
of the boat in which they arrived."

"Surely, Bob, you do not suppose that launch to have been ours, and
those men to have been a part of our old crew!" exclaimed Mark, with a
tumult of feeling he had not experienced since he had reason to think
that Bridget was about to be restored to him.

"Indeed, but I do, sir. The savages told Jones that the boat had a bird
painted in its starn-sheets; and that was the case with our launch, Mr.
Mark, which was ornamented with a spread-eagle in that very spot. Then,
one of the men was said to have a red mark on his face; and you may
remember, sir, that Bill Brown had a nat'ral brand of that sort. Jones
only mentioned the thing this arternoon, as we was at work together; and
I detarmined to let you know all about it, at the first occasion. Depend
on it, Mr. Woolston, some of our chaps is still living."

This unexpected intelligence momentarily drove the recollection of the
present danger