s short now, and in a few minutes they had put the low
growth between them and their enemies, and were running toward where the
boat, with its two keepers, was being backed on to the sand.

"Hooray!" panted Ned's bearer, as he waded in and let the poor fellow
glide over the gunwale of the boat, following directly after.

The others, as soon as Jack and the doctor were aboard, dropped their
rifles in, ran the boat out till they were waist deep, and then gave a
final thrust and slipped over, to seize their rifles again and squat
down ready to fire.

They were none too soon, for a party of about a dozen blacks, armed with
spears and bows and arrows, came into sight, and began to shoot.

"Give them a volley," said the doctor sternly. "Six of us. We can't be
merciful now."

The pieces were rested upon the sides of the boat, and the sharp rattle
of gun and rifle followed, Jack and the doctor firing both barrels of
their fowling-pieces, loaded with largish shot.

The effect was instantaneous. As the cloud of smoke rose, they could
see that two of the blacks were down, and several running wildly about
as if in terrible pain. Then the two fallen men were seized by the
wrists and dragged under cover, from which arrow after arrow was
discharged--fortunately without effect--till the vigorous strokes of the
oars took them beyond their reach, and toward where a dense cloud of
smoke hung over the lagoon, drifting slowly toward them in the soft
sea-breeze, and completely hiding the yacht.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

A POISONED ARROW.

"Better run out toward the reef and approach from that side," said the
doctor, after considering for a few moments the difficulties of their
position.

For they were literally in the dark, and did not know but what they
might be running into danger--that from the canoes which must be
attacking the crew, or that of getting into their friends' line of fire.

As the doctor kept a sharp look-out, he helped to lay the wounded man in
a more easy position, and bathed his head and face with the
comparatively cool water; but the poor fellow showed no sign of revival,
and Jack's face grew more anxious, the doctor's graver and more stern.

At the end of a few minutes they had passed out of the smoke cloud,
which was still increasing from the firing going on and the fumes
rolling out of the funnel, and they could now grasp the position of
affairs.

The steamer still lay at anchor, and she was engagi