here! you've wakened Avatea with your long tongue," retorted Peterkin,
with a frown, as the girl gave vent to a deep sigh. "No," he continued,
"it was only a snore. Perchance she dreameth of her black Apollo. I
say, Ralph, do leave just one little slice of that yam. Between you and
Jack I run a chance of being put on short allowance, if not--yei--a--a--ow!"

Peterkin's concluding remark was a yawn of so great energy that Jack
recommended him to postpone the conclusion of his meal till next
morning,--a piece of advice which he followed so quickly, that I was
forcibly reminded of his remark, a few minutes before, in regard to the
sharp practice of Avatea.

My readers will have observed, probably, by this time, that I am much
given to meditation; they will not, therefore, be surprised to learn that
I fell into a deep reverie on the subject of sleep, which was continued
without intermission into the night, and prolonged without interruption
into the following morning. But I cannot feel assured that I actually
slept during that time, although I am tolerably certain that I was not
awake.

Thus we lay like a shadow on the still bosom of the ocean, while the
night closed in, and all around was calm, dark, and silent.

A thrilling cry of alarm from Peterkin startled us in the morning, just
as the gray dawn began to glimmer in the east.

"What's wrong?" cried Jack, starting up.

Peterkin replied by pointing with a look of anxious dread towards the
horizon; and a glance sufficed to show us that one of the largest sized
war-canoes was approaching us!

With a groan of mingled despair and anger Jack seized his paddle, glanced
at the compass, and, in a suppressed voice, commanded us to "give way."

But we did not require to be urged. Already our four paddles were
glancing in the water, and the canoe bounded over the glassy sea like a
dolphin, while a shout from our pursuers told that they had observed our
motions.

"I see something like land ahead," said Jack, in a hopeful tone. "It
seems impossible that we could have made the island yet; still, if it is
so, we may reach it before these fellows can catch us, for our canoe is
light and our muscles are fresh."

No one replied; for, to say truth, we felt that, in a long chase, we had
no chance whatever with a canoe which held nearly a hundred warriors.
Nevertheless, we resolved to do our utmost to escape, and paddled with a
degree of vigour that kept us well in advance