utside, and then pretending to hack at my finger as if carving it.
Jimmy would have understood in a moment, but it was some time before the
boy saw what I meant. Then his face lit up, and he slowly sauntered
away, as if in the most careless of moods, poising his spear and
throwing it at trees, stooping, leaping, and playing at being a warrior
of his tribe, so it seemed to me, till he disappeared among the trees.

The sun was sinking low, but he did not return. I saw him pass by with
the tall painted warrior, and then go out of sight. My food had been
given me, but I had not seen Jimmy, though we had corresponded together
by making a few shrill parrot-like whistles. Night would soon be upon
me once again, and when Gyp came, if he did come, I should not be ready.

I was just thinking like this when there was a slight tap close by me,
and turning quickly I saw a sharp-pointed piece of stone upon the beaten
earth floor, and as I reached out my hand to pick it up a piece of white
wood struck me on the hand, making a sharp metallic sound.

I felt that there was danger, and half threw myself over my treasures,
looking dreamily out at the entrance and remaining motionless, as my
guard entered to stare round suspiciously, eyeing me all over, and then
going slowly back.

I breathed more freely, and was thinking as I saw him settle down that I
might at any time begin to try and carve a word or two, and in this mind
I was about to take the piece of wood from beneath me when the savage
swung himself round and sprang into the hut in a couple of bounds.

He had meant to surprise me if I had been engaged upon any plan of
escape, but finding me perfectly motionless he merely laughed and went
back.

Directly after, another savage came up and took his place, and I eagerly
began my task.

Very easy it sounds to carve a few letters on a piece of wood, but how
hard I found it before I managed to roughly cut the words "All Well,"
having selected these because they were composed of straight lines,
which mine were not. Still I hoped that the doctor would make them out,
and I hid my piece of flint and my wooden note and waited, meaning to
keep awake till the dog came.

But I had been awake all the previous night, and I fell fast asleep,
till Gyp came and roused me by scratching at my chest, when in a dreamy
confused way I found and took something from the dog's collar and tied
my note in its place, falling asleep directly after from