omerang."

Snatching it from Ti-hi's hand he made believe to strike him with the
curious weapon and then rushed off with it into the bush.

"Well, Joe," said the doctor, "do you think the crocodiles will dine on
blackbird?"

I shook my head.

"What do you say, Jack Penny, eh?"

"Jimmy won't jump in, I know," drawled Jack.

"You're right," said the doctor; "he'll come back before long hungry as
a hunter, and regularly tamed down or I'm no judge of character."

"Yes," I said, "and he'll bring back something he has killed so as to
try and make friends. That's how he always did at home."

"Well," said Jack Penny solemnly, "I hope he will. I like Jimmy, he
makes me laugh, and though it hurts my back I like laughing. It does me
good. I never used to have anything to laugh at at home. Father used
to laugh when he kicked me, but it never seemed funny to me, and I never
used to laugh at that."

"Well, Jack Penny, I dare say the black will give you something to laugh
at before long, for I don't suppose it will be long before he is back."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

HOW I NEARLY HAD AN ARROW TO DRINK.

We were soon on the way towards the interior again, and the doctor and I
had set to work trying to obtain some information from Ti-hi, and also
from Aroo, another intelligent looking follower who had been one of the
prisoners made by the captain of the burnt schooner.

It was hard work, but we were daily getting to understand more and more
of the commoner words of conversation, and by degrees we managed to make
out that the reason why we had not come upon any native village was that
the nearest was still many days' journey distant, but that if we changed
our course and went down to the sea-shore we should soon find signs of
occupation.

But I felt that this would be of no use, for if my father had been
anywhere on the coast he must have come in contact sooner or later with
one or other of the trading vessels, whose captains, even if they could
not bring him away on account of his being a prisoner, would certainly
have reported somewhere that they had seen a white captive, and the news
must have spread.

"He must be right in the interior somewhere," I said; "and I'm sure we
can't do better than keep on."

"I think you are right, Joe," said the doctor thoughtfully.

"I feel sure I am," I said. "I don't expect to find him directly; but I
mean to go on trying till I do."

"That's the way to find anybody," said J