it kept on in a shrill tone till it seemed, as my head ached so
badly, almost maddening.

At last I raised my heavy eyelids and saw that instead of lying on the
sand surrounded by savages, I was some distance from the shore and in
the boat. I could dimly see, as through a mist, the savages on the
beach, and they were shouting, yelling, and threatening us with their
war-clubs; but it was Ebo who was apparently about to dance the bottom
out of the boat, and keeping up that abominable "Hi, yi, yi!" his song
of triumph for the victory he had won.

"Hi, yi, yi--Hi, yi, yi--Hi, yi, yi! _hey_!"

The _Hey_! was accompanied by a tremendous jump, and a flourish of the
spear at the savages on shore, whom the defiance seemed to madden as
they rushed about furiously waving their clubs and yelling with all
their might. Sometimes they dashed into the water right to their
chests, some swam out with their war-clubs in their teeth, and some went
through a pantomime in which we were all supposed to be beaten down and
being pounded into jelly upon the shore.

All this delighted Ebo, who varied his war-song by making derisive
gestures, showing his utter contempt for his cowardly enemies, all of
which seemed to sting them to fury, and I began to wonder how we should
get on if they had canoes.

For our boat was floating gently along about sixty yards from the shore
with the sail flapping about, the current driving her away, but the
rollers carrying her in.

At first I could do nothing but sit there and gaze, sometimes at Ebo,
and sometimes at the savages. Then in a sleepy stupid way I looked at
my uncle, who was lying in the bottom of the boat with his eyes closed
and perfectly motionless.

Somehow my state then did not trouble me much, only that I wished my
head would not ache quite so badly. I was quite aware that we were in
danger, but that seemed to be quite natural; and at last I began to
wonder why I did not begin doing something, and why my uncle did not get
up.

At last it seemed to occur to Ebo that it was time for him to finish
shouting, and he laid his spear down, came to me, and lifted me, so that
my head was over the side of the boat, and he then scooped up the cool
water and bathed my face, with such satisfactory effect that I was able
to think clearly; and thanking him, I was about to perform a similar
duty for my uncle, when, to my horror, I saw a crowd of savages running
a couple of canoes over the sands, eviden