ing to alarm his
companion unnecessarily, or say anything needlessly to raise her
apprehensions; so he answered, with a great show of cheerfulness--

"Why, I hope it will very materially shorten the period of our sojourn
here, sweetheart. They have the appearance of being good sturdy
fellows; and I shall set them on to help me with my heavy work. It has
gone to my heart to be compelled to ask you to do even the light work
that you have hitherto done for me; although I could not have got on at
all without your assistance. Now, however, with their help I shall be
able to get on swimmingly, while you can amuse yourself in any way that
you please. Now I am going to tack; look out for your head, dear; I
cannot afford to have you knocked overboard by the main-boom. Helm's
a-lee!"

Instead of returning to the brig, Leslie proceeded direct to the island
where, having landed Flora, he proceeded, with some difficulty, to rouse
the savages, and supply them with food and drink. They proved to be, as
Leslie had said, a pair of fine, well-made men, naked, save for a kind
of breech-clout round their loins, of sturdy physique, and apparently
but little the worse for their adventure. Nor were they especially
unprepossessing in appearance, although there was a certain character of
ruthlessness in the expression of their eyes and about their mouths and
chins that caused Leslie to determine that he would keep a very wary eye
upon them, at all events until he had learned a little more about their
character and disposition.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

FLORA'S ADVENTURE.

Leslie's two dark-skinned guests--for they were nearly black in colour--
ate heartily of the food that was given them, their eyes wide-open with
wonder, meanwhile, at the many strange objects--especially the tent and
the catamaran--that they beheld around them; and the ex-lieutenant
especially noted, with fast-growing distrust, the glances of hungry
admiration that they bestowed on Flora when at length she emerged from
the tent and approached the canoe to note their progress toward
recovery. Leslie had already tested their knowledge of English, French,
and German without success, from which he deduced the conclusion that
they had not been brought into very intimate contact with the crews of
vessels speaking any of those languages. Their own language, on the
other hand was, as of course might be expected, merely unintelligible
gibberish to him. This was unfortunate,