lling to her doom. The case was
desperate. In this emergency Susannah suddenly hurled Jack Mills at
Thursday. The poor boy had to drop the other two in order to catch the
flying Jack, but the other two, sliding down his body, held each to a
Thursday October leg like limpets. The result was that the four
remained firm and safe, while Susannah leaped into the surf and rescued
little Poll.

It all happened so quickly that the actors had scarcely time to think.
Having reached the dry land, they looked seaward, and there saw their
more practised companions about to come in on the top of a wave. For a
few seconds their heads were seen bobbing now on the top, now between
the hollows of the waves. Then they were seen on a towering snowy crest
which was just about to fall. On the summit of the roaring wave, as if
on a snowy mountain, they came rushing on with railway speed. To an
unpractised eye destruction among the rocks was their doom. But they
had taken good aim, and came careering to the sandy patch where the
little ones sprawled. In another moment they stood safe and sound upon
the land.

This was but an everyday feat of the Pitcairners, who went up to their
village chatting merrily, and thinking nothing more about the adventure
than that it was capital fun.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

THE DARKEST HOUR.

A long time after the events narrated in the last chapter, John Adams
and Edward Young sat together one evening in the cave at the top of the
mountain, where poor Fletcher Christian had been wont to hold his lonely
vigils.

"I've bin thinkin' of late," said Young, "that it is very foolish of us
to content ourselves with merely fishing from the rocks, when there are
better fish to be had in deep water, and plenty of material at hand for
making canoes."

"You're right, sir; we ought to try our hands at a canoe. Pity we
didn't do so before the native men was all killed. They knew what sort
o' trees to use, and how to split 'em up into planks, an' all that sort
o' thing."

"But McCoy used to study that subject, and talk much about it, when we
were in Otaheite," returned Young. "I've no doubt that with his aid we
could build a good enough canoe, and the women would be as able as the
men, no doubt, to direct us what to do if we were in a difficulty.
McCoy is a handy fellow, you know, with tools, as he has proved more
than once since the death of poor Williams."

Adams shook his head.

"No doubt, Mr Young,