rather oddly. "We're for a little
place I know, where the savages are pretty friendly, and I've been
talking it over with the doctor as to its being a good starting-place
for you, and he thinks it will be. There it lies," he said, pointing
north-east. "We can soon make it now."

"Looks a nicer place than our land," said Jack Penny, as I stood with
him gazing wonderingly at the forest and mountain scenery that hour by
hour grew more clear. "I think I shall like Noo Guinea."

The day glided on with the look-out growing more and more interesting;
and at last, when we were pretty near, we could see the other schooner
had outsailed us, and was within a short distance of a scattered
collection of huts; while a little crowd of the natives was on the sandy
beach busily launching their canoes, in which they paddled out towards
the other vessel.

"I don't like that," said the skipper suddenly, as he was using his
glass. "That's bad for us."

"What is?" I said eagerly.

"That there schooner going before us. They're blackbird catchers, or
I'm a Dutchman."

"Blackbird catchers?" I said. "Why, I thought there were no blackbirds
out of Europe."

"Just hark at him," said the captain, turning to the doctor.
"Blackbirds, boy, why, there's thousands; and it's them varmint who go
in for the trade of catching 'em as makes the coast unsafe for honest
men."

"What do you mean?" I cried, and I became aware of the fact that Jack
Penny was bending over me like a bamboo.

"Mean, boy? just you take the doctor's little double-barrelled telescope
and watch and see."

I took the glass and looked intently, watching through it the scene of
the blacks paddling up to the schooner, and holding up what seemed to be
fruit and birds for sale.

All at once I saw something fall into one of the canoes, which
immediately sank, and eight of its occupants were left struggling in the
water.

To my great relief I saw a small boat rowed round from the other side of
the little vessel, evidently, as I thought, to go to the help of the
poor creatures; but, to my horror, I saw that two men stood up in the
boat, and, as it was rowed, they struck at the swimming men with heavy
bars, and dragged them one by one into the boat.

I saw four saved like this, and then the boat was rowed rapidly in
pursuit of the other four, who were swimming as hard as they could, as
they tried to overtake the canoes, whose occupants were making for the
shore.

Th