under bare poles.

Worn out with his exertions, Lilo still stuck manfully to his steering,
when, looking behind him, he saw a black, towering sea sweeping down
upon the schooner. Uttering a cry of alarm, he let go the wheel, and
darted into the cabin after Mrs. Marston, who had just left the deck.

Then came a tremendous crash, and the _Lupetea_ shook and quivered in
every timber, as the mighty avalanche of water fell upon and buried
her; smashing the wheel to splinters, snapping off the rudder head, and
sweeping the deck clean of everything movable.

A month later the vessel drifted ashore on Anouda Island, just as Mrs.
Marston was beginning to despair.

CHAPTER XIX

Darkness had fallen upon the little island, as with the girl Serena and
her infant charge, Mrs. Man-ton was walking back to the house. Lilo had
not yet returned, but as they emerged from the breadfruit grove, they
heard the sound of many voices, and then came a cry that made their
hearts thrill--

"_Te vaka nui, Te vaka nui!_" ("A ship! a ship!") and almost at the same
moment Lilo and a score of natives came rushing along the path in search
of the white lady.

"A ship! aship!" shouted Lilo, who was almost frantic with excitement,
"your ship--your own ship! The ship that came to Samatau!"

"How know you, Lilo?" cried Mrs. Marston tremblingly. "How can you tell
it is my ship? And where is it?"

As soon as the boy was able to make himself heard through the clamour
of his companions, he told Mrs. Marston that whilst he was engaged in
fishing along the shore of an unfrequented little bay on the north end
of the island, he was startled by the sudden appearance of a large ship,
which he instantly recognised as the _Esmeralda_. She came around a
headland with a number of her hands aloft taking in sail, and dropped
anchor about half a mile from the land. Lilo waited some time to see if
a boat would come on shore, and also ran out to the edge of the reef,
and tried to attract the attention of the people on board, but no notice
was taken of him. Then, as darkness was coming on, he set off for the
village at a run to tell his mistress.

"We must hasten on board, Lilo," said Mrs. Marston, as she walked
hurriedly along beside him to the house. "Run quickly to the old white
man, and ask him to send his boat here for me."

But Manning had already heard the news, and his boat had not only been
launched, but, manned by half a dozen stalwart Anoudans, was