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become friends and to trade with him. We told Kalong that they must not
fail to hint that we were well-armed and able to defend ourselves, but
at the same time that we were peaceably disposed. Observing a rock a
short distance off, partly covered with trees, from which we could
command a view of the country around us, we climbed to the top of it to
wait there in the shade until the return of the two Papuans. We
employed part of the time in making a meal off the provisions which we
had cooked in the morning. How eagerly I looked out for our guides,
expecting to see them perhaps accompanied by my father. We waited and
waited, but still nowhere could we discover them. At length, a large
portion of the day having passed, we saw a person hurrying towards us,
and as he began to climb the rock we perceived that he was one of our
Papuan friends. His countenance showed that he was greatly agitated.
We anxiously waited until Kalong and Ned could interpret for us.

"He brings bad news, sir," said Ned, at length; "from what I can make
out, the savages have seized his companion, and he had a hard job to get
away from them. He says that some of the white men are dead, and that
the others, not long ago, made their escape. This made the people very
savage, and he fears if we go near them that they will seize and keep us
instead."

"But, my father! Do you make out that he has escaped?" I inquired
eagerly.

"It is a very difficult question to answer," said Ned; "our friend here
thinks that the man whom they call the `White Chief,' and who I take it
was the captain, did get away, and that makes them so angry. It seems
that they had been very friendly with him up to that time, only they
would not let him go because he was teaching them all sorts of things.
I don't suppose if they were to make us prisoners they would kill us,
but we should lose our object in coming, and may be they would keep too
strict a watch to let us escape."

We had no reason to doubt our guide; indeed, his story appeared so
probable that Uncle Jack at once resolved to beat a retreat. If the
white men had escaped, they were now probably on the coast, and we might
fall in with them.

This hope greatly softened the disappointment we should otherwise have
felt. Our native friend seemed satisfied with our resolution. We
inquired what he intended to do with regard to his companion. He
replied that he would not lose his life, and that he would probabl