making me leap forward as if struck by the
weapon.

I was panting heavily, and a choking sensation came upon me, but I raced
on, since it was for life.

How long the pursuit lasted I cannot tell. Perhaps a minute. It seemed
half an hour. Twice I leaped aside to avoid blows aimed at me, and each
time ran blindly in a fresh direction; but all at once the idea occurred
to me in a flash that in my unnerved stupefied position I must have been
going backward and struck my head violently against a tree, for it
seemed as if there was a violent shock like thunder with a flash of
lightning to dazzle my eyes, and then there was nothing at all.

CHAPTER NINE.

HOW I WAS NOT MADE INTO PIE.

When I came to, it was as if all the past was a dream, for I heard
voices I knew, and lay listening to them talking in a low tone, till,
opening my eyes, I found I was close to the doctor, the captain, Jimmy,
and the sailors, while Jack Penny was sitting holding my hand.

"What cheer, my hearty?" said the captain, making an effort to come to
me; but I then became aware of the fact that we were surrounded by
savages, for one great fellow struck the captain on the arm with his
club, and in retort the skipper gave him a kick which sent him on his
back.

There was a loud yell at this, and what seemed to threaten to be a
general onslaught. My friends all prepared for their defence, and Jimmy
took the initiative by striking out wildly, when half a dozen blacks
dashed at him, got him down, and one was foolish enough to sit upon his
head, but only to bound up directly with a shriek, for poor Jimmy, being
held down as to arms and legs, made use of the very sharp teeth with
which nature had endowed him.

We should have been killed at once, no doubt, had not one tall black
shouted out something, and then begun talking loudly to the excited mob,
who listened to him angrily, it seemed to me; but I was so dull and
confused from the blow I had received upon my head that all seemed misty
and strange, and once I found myself thinking, as my head ached
frightfully, that they might just as well kill us at once, and not
torture us by keeping us in suspense.

The talking went on, and whenever the tall chief stopped for a moment
the blacks all set up a yell, and danced about brandishing their spears
and clubs, showing their teeth, rolling their eyes, and behaving--just
like savages. But still we were not harmed, only watched carefully,
Jimmy alon