for their
paddles, dug a hole in the course of half an hour that was quite large
enough to contain all the bodies of the slain. When it was finished they
tossed their dead enemies into it with so much indifference that we felt
assured they would not have put themselves to this trouble had we not
asked them to do so. The body of the yellow-haired chief was the last
thrown in. This wretched man would have recovered from the blow with
which Jack felled him, and, indeed, he did endeavour to rise during the
melee that followed his fall, but one of his enemies, happening to notice
the action, dealt him a blow with his club that killed him on the spot.

While they were about to throw the sand over this chief, one of the
savages stooped over him, and with a knife, made apparently of stone, cut
a large slice of flesh from his thigh. We knew at once that he intended
to make use of this for food, and could not repress a cry of horror and
disgust.

"Come, come, you blackguard," cried Jack, starting up and seizing the man
by the arm, "pitch that into the hole. Do you hear?"

The savage of course did not understand the command, but he perfectly
understood the look of disgust with which Jack regarded the flesh, and
his fierce gaze as he pointed towards the hole. Nevertheless he did not
obey. Jack instantly turned to Tararo and made signs to him to enforce
obedience. The chief seemed to understand the appeal, for he stepped
forward, raised his club, and was on the point of dashing out the brains
of his offending subject, when Jack sprang forward and caught his
uplifted arm.

"Stop!" he shouted, "you blockhead, I don't want you to kill the man." He
then pointed again to the flesh and to the hole. The chief uttered a few
words, which had the desired effect; for the man threw the flesh into the
hole, which was immediately filled up. This man was of a morose, sulky
disposition, and, during all the time he remained on the island, regarded
us, especially Jack, with a scowling visage. His name, we found, was
Mahine.

The next three or four days were spent by the savages in mending their
canoe, which had been damaged by the violent shock it had sustained on
striking the shore. This canoe was a very curious structure. It was
about thirty feet long, and had a high towering stern. The timbers, of
which it was partly composed, were fastened much in the same way as those
of our little boat were put together; but the part that se