of their lives.

"It's a many years since I used to go into the copses to cut myself a
good hazel and make myself a bow, Mr Jack, and get reeds out of the
edge of the long lake, to tie nails in the ends and use for arrows. I
used to bind the nails in with whitey-brown thread well beeswaxed, and
then dress the notch at the other end to keep the bowstring from
splitting it up. I've hit rabbits with an arrow before now, though they
always run into their holes. You can shoot with a bow and arrow at a
target of course?"

"I? No, Ned," said the boy sadly. "I can't do anything but read."

"Oh, I say, sir! Why, I've seen you knock over things with a gun. Look
how you finished that sea snake."

"I suppose I'd better try though, Ned."

"Why of course, sir. You take the one you like. Here's three of them.
Wish they hadn't been so stingy with the arrows--only five between two
of us. Never mind. Hadn't got any ten minutes ago. We'll keep a pair
apiece and have one to spare, and a spear each. We'll leave the others
in here, and let 'em fetch 'em if they dare."

"Yes," said Jack, selecting his weapons; "but we must not go out yet."

"Well, sir, I don't want to interfere, but I haven't had anything to eat
since lunch yesterday, and if I don't soon do some stoking my engine
won't go."

"But you don't expect that you are going to kill anything with these
things?" cried Jack.

"I'm going to try, sir. Savages can, and have a feast of roast pig
after, so we ought to be able to. Don't you think we might risk
starting, and get higher up the mountain, and then round somehow, and
make for the shore?"

"It will be very risky by daylight."

"But we can't go in the dark, sir."

"Come on then," cried Jack. "The blacks may have been scared right
away, so let's chance it."

He led the way to the entrance, where, to the great delight of both,
they found another bow lying, and close by one of the melon-headed
war-clubs and a bundle of arrows, upon which Ned pounced regardless of
danger, while Jack crept to the stones outside and took a long look
round, over gully, rock, and patch of forest. But there was nothing
living within sight but a couple of flocks of birds, one green, the
others milky white, and showing plainly as they flew over against the
green trees.

"See anything of that lame pig, sir?" said Ned, handing him the arrows
to take what he liked.

"No; nor the blacks neither."

"They're hiding somewhere, si