owed our sable
guide, who led us by a long detour, in order to avoid the village, to the
place of rendezvous. We had not stood more than five minutes under the
gloomy shade of the thick foliage when a dark figure glided noiselessly
up to us.

"Ah! here you are," said Jack, as Avatea approached. "Now, then, tell
her what we've come about, and don't waste time."

"I understan' leetl English," said Avatea, in a low voice.

"Why, where did you pick up English?" exclaimed Jack, in amazement; "you
were dumb as a stone when I saw you last."

"She has learned all she knows of it from me," said the teacher, "since
she came to the island."

We now gave Avatea a full explanation of our plans, entering into all the
details, and concealing none of the danger, so that she might be fully
aware of the risk she ran. As we had anticipated, she was too glad of
the opportunity thus afforded her to escape from her persecutors to think
of the danger or risk.

"Then you're willing to go with us, are you?" said Jack.

"Yis, I am willing to go."

"And you're not afraid to trust yourself out on the deep sea so far?"

"No, I not 'fraid to go. Safe with Christian."

After some further consultation, the teacher suggested that it was time
to return, so we bade Avatea good night, and having appointed to meet at
the cliff where the canoe lay, on the following night, just after dark,
we hastened away--we to row on board the schooner with muffled
oars--Avatea to glide back to her prison-hut among the Mango savages.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

The flight--The pursuit--Despair and its results--The lion bearded in his
den again--Awful danger threatened and wonderfully averted--A terrific
storm.

As the time for our meditated flight drew near, we became naturally very
fearful lest our purpose should be discovered, and we spent the whole of
the following day in a state of nervous anxiety. We resolved to go a-
shore and ramble about the village, as if to observe the habits and
dwellings of the people, as we thought that an air of affected
indifference to the events of the previous day would be more likely than
any other course of conduct to avert suspicion as to our intentions.
While we were thus occupied, the teacher remained on board with the
Christian natives, whose powerful voices reached us ever and anon as they
engaged in singing hymns or in prayer.

At last the long and tedious day came to a close, the sank into the sea,
and the sh