could
only kill him!"

"Wot's in the pistol?" inquired Bumpus, pointing to the weapon which
Corrie had stuck ostentatiously into his belt.

"Nothin'," answered the boy. "I fired the last charge in the face of a
savage."

"Fling it at him," suggested Bumpus, getting cautiously up. "Here, hand
it to me. I've seed a heavy horse-pistol like that do great execution
when well aimed by a stout arm."

The pig seemed to have an intuitive perception that danger was
approaching; for it turned abruptly round just as the missile left the
seaman's hand, and received the butt with full force close to the root
of its tail.

A pig's tendency to shriek on the receipt of the slightest injury is
well known. It is therefore not to be wondered at that this pig went off
into the bushes under cover of a series of yells so terrific they might
have been heard for miles around.

"I'll after him," cried Bumpus, catching up a large stone, and leaping
forward a few paces almost as actively as if nothing had happened to
him.

"Hurrah!" shouted Corrie; "I'll go too."

"Hold on," cried Bumpus, stopping suddenly.

"Why?" inquired the boy.

"'Cause you must stop an' take care of the gals. It won't do to leave
'em alone again, you know, Corrie."

This remark was accompanied with an exceedingly huge wink, full of deep
meaning, which Corrie found it convenient not to notice, as he observed
gravely:

"Ah! true. One of us _must_ remain with 'em, poor, helpless things;
so--so _you_ had better go after the squeaker."

"All right," said Bumpus, with a broad grin--"Hallo! why, here's a
spear, that must ha' been dropped by one o' them savages. That's a piece
o' good luck, anyhow, as the man said when he f'und the fi' pun' note.
Now, then, keep an eye on them gals, lad, and I'll be back as soon as
ever I can; though I does feel rather stiffish. My old timbers ain't
used to such deep divin', d'ye see."

Bumpus entered the thicket as he spoke, and Corrie returned to console
the girls with the feeling and the air of a man whose bosom is filled
with a stern resolve to die, if need be, in the discharge of an
important duty.

Now, the yell of this particular pig reached other ears beside those of
the party whose doings we have attempted to describe. It rang in those
of the pirates, who had been sent ashore to hide, like the scream of a
steam-whistle, in consequence of their being close at hand, and it
sounded like a faint cry in those of Henry Stua