e a little channel all round one of our boxes upon which
the skins were laid, and connected it with the little spring of water,
so that our treasure was surrounded by a tiny moat, that we could keep
the insects away.

Our black friend, who was evidently a great chief among his people, made
no scruple about stopping to have some tea with us, watching the boiling
of the kettle and our preparations with the greatest of curiosity, but
always in a calm, composed way.

"It is rather a nuisance always having him here, Nat," said my uncle;
"but we should be bothered with a good many more if he were to go, and
really he does not seem a bad sort of fellow."

He certainly was not, for though he ate heartily of anything we gave
him, he was as generous as could be, going off to return with men laden
with fruit, fish, and a kind of sago, which was not at all bad boiled up
and sweetened.

I missed a good many things such as I had been used to, but so far it
all seemed to be glorious fun, and that night I lay down to rest looking
through the open doorway at the stars, breathing the soft warm air, and
dropping off into a delicious sleep, to dream of home, and Uncle Joe in
his garden, smoking his long clay pipe.

I was awakened at daybreak by some one touching me, and on opening my
eyes I started with dread as I saw a black face close to my own, and a
grinning set of white teeth.

I knew directly who it was, though, and getting up I saw that my uncle
was still peacefully sleeping off the previous day's fatigue.

I was going to rouse him, but Mr Ebony pulled me by the arm to come
without waking him.

My next movement was to get my gun; but again our black friend objected,
pulling at me half angrily, and I accompanied him outside into the cool
grey morning.

I hesitated to follow him for a minute, thinking that I ought not to
leave my uncle; but I could not help thinking that we were quite
helpless amongst these savages if they chose to turn against us, and
therefore all we could do was to cultivate their good-will.

Mr Ebony, whose black mop of hair stood out more fiercely than ever,
was watching me attentively, scowling fiercely, as I thought; but as
soon as I prepared to follow him he began to grin and chatter away to
me, keeping on repeating the word "_Ikan-Ikan_," till we were down in
the half darkness by where the waves lapped the sand; and now I saw a
good-sized canoe with half a dozen men waiting, all looking, with thei