oing to swim ashore," I said, making believe to leap overboard,
and then striking out with my arms; but my companions all chattered
angrily, and Mr Ebony, to my horror, came at me, snapping at my arms
and legs with his great white teeth, and looking terribly fierce, while,
as I shrunk away, one of the blacks touched me on the back, and as I
turned sharply, with Mr Ebony holding on to my trouser leg and
apparently trying to tear out a piece, the black behind me pointed down
into the clear water, now brightly lit-up by the sun, and I saw two long
grey fish gliding slowly amongst the coral rocks, and I wanted no
telling that they were sharks.

I pointed to the sharks in my turn, shuddering as I thought of what an
escape I had had; and not being able to express myself in language, I
did what Mr Ebony had done to me, made a dash at his leg and pretended
to bite it, not doing so, however, for I did not care to touch his great
black limb with my teeth.

He understood me, though, and chattered with delight, getting up and
relieving his feelings by a short dance before settling down again and
shaking hands.

In another minute the canoe was run up on the beautiful soft sand, the
savages leaping out into the shallow water and carrying it beyond reach
of the waves, when I stepped out with Mr Ebony, who made one of the men
pick up my fish and carry it before us in triumph to our hut, the others
taking the rest of the fish towards the village.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

A BUTTERFLY HUNT.

"Why, Nat," cried my uncle, "I was beginning to be alarmed. Been
fishing, eh?" he said, as he shook hands with our black friend, who had
evidently made up his mind to stay breakfast; for, seizing the big fish,
he snapped off a couple of great banana leaves upon which to lay it, and
the man who had carried it went away; but not until I had made him show
his teeth by giving him a couple of biscuits and a handful of sugar.

I explained to my uncle how I had been carried off that morning, and my
feeling of alarm, and he nodded.

"I don't think there is anything to be alarmed about, Nat," he replied,
"so long as we do not in any way touch upon their prejudices; but what a
splendid fish, Nat, my boy! It must be a kind of mullet, I should say,
by its soft mouth and the long barbs hanging from the corners of its
chubby lips. Yes, that's what it must be; but I'm sorry to say that I
am very ignorant about fish."

My uncle had not been idle, for