ng half-a-dozen long
canoes, whose occupants were raining arrows upon the deck, and every now
and then, with terrible temerity, they were paddled rapidly near enough
to hurl their spears at any one they could see.

"Well, we must risk it, and get on board somehow," said the doctor.
"Give way, my lads, and pull for your lives. I'll steer as well under
cover as I can. Jack, lad, keep on bathing the poor fellow's face."

The men began pulling with all their might, and the nearer they drew to
the yacht, naturally the better cover they secured, though, as Jack sat
dipping his handkerchief in the sea from time to time, and laying it
upon Ned's burning head, he wondered that one or other of the canoes did
not come round to meet them and cut them off.

Probably they were too much occupied by their own troubles, for, stung
at last by the vicious attack into fierce reprisals, the yacht was
giving the savages ample proof of her power.

"Don't fire at them with rifles," Sir John had said, "it is only
slaughtering the poor ignorant wretches. Give them some good sharp
lesson that shall teach them to respect an English vessel come upon a
peaceful mission."

"There is only one, sir," said the captain quietly. "Sink two or three
of the canoes with round-shot."

"You feel that it is absolutely necessary?" asked Sir John.

"So necessary, that if we do not do that they will for certain board us,
and as they are about fifty to one, we shall not be here to-morrow to
tell the tale."

Sir John hesitated no longer, and just as the boat was racing for the
yacht, the firing had begun, the former shots having been with blank
cartridge, in the vain hope of scaring the enemy away.

The boat was now sighted from the yacht's deck, and a faint cheer
reached Jack's ears as they sped over the water. But while they were
still some three hundred yards from the gangway, one of the great canoes
suddenly started away from the others, and with the paddles making the
water flash and foam, came round the yacht's bows and made a dash for
the solitary little boat to cut her off.

"Cease rowing," cried the doctor; but every piece was already charged,
and giving the order now for the rifles to be laid ready to seize at a
moment's notice, they began pulling now for the yacht's bows.

"If they don't give us some help soon from the yacht, Jack," said the
doctor rather despondently, "it will go rather badly with us."

"Oh, don't say that," cried the b