ng ship."

"There is no possibility of any such good fortune as that."

"Stranger things have happened, and--"

"Does that look like it?" interrupted the captain in some excitement,
pointing toward the island.

The sight that met the gaze of every one was startling. Fully thirty
canoes, each filled with eight or ten natives, were putting off from
shore and heading toward them. Several of the crew favored turning
about, and putting to sea; but that would have been not only hopeless,
but would have invited attack. Nothing is so encouraging to an enemy
as flight on the part of his opponent. It impels him to greater
exertions and gives him a bravery which otherwise he may not feel.

The savages, in their light, graceful craft, and with their great skill
in manipulating them, would have overhauled the white men "hand over
hand." There was a faint hope that by presenting a bold front, and
acting as though they believed in the friendship of the savages that
they might spare the unfortunates. At any rate, it was clear there was
no choice but to go ahead, and the white men did so, rowing leisurely
and calmly, though the chances in doing so were hastening their own
doom.

There could be no mistaking the ardor of the ferocious natives. They
paddled with might and main, and fully a dozen, in their eagerness,
leaped into the sea and swam ahead of their canoes. They were
magnificent swimmers, speeding through the water like so many dolphins.
The Americans, even in their frightful peril, could not repress their
admiration.

"Did you ever see anything like it?" asked first mate Watchman; "they
are like so many sharks."

"They are indeed," was the significant response of Captain Gooding,
"and I would like it better if they were real sharks."

"Here they are!"

Sure enough; they surrounded the boat in a twinkling, and shouting and
screeching like so many demons, clambered over the gunwales until there
was danger of swamping the craft.

Had our friends possessed firearms, they would have made a desperate
resistance, and possibly might have beaten off their assailants; but,
as it was, they acted the part of wisdom in offering no opposition to
the presence or actions of their unwelcome visitors.

The latter proved that they meant business from the first, for hardly
were they in the boat when they began stripping the officers and
sailors of their property. When they ceased the men had nothing left
but their undershir