panion
way. He gave one look at the wild natives who swarmed over the ship, and
then, with a yell to be heard a long way off, disappeared below.

The shouts and cries of the savages grew louder and they seemed to be
doing a sort of war dance.

"We must make one effort to drive them away," said the professor in
desperation.

"We haven't even a revolver," spoke Andy.

"Let's use stones," suggested Jack, grabbing up a handful from the
beach.

"Look out!" yelled Mark. "They are going to shoot some arrows!"

A second later a flight of the weapons filled the air. Fortunately the
natives were too far away to permit the shots taking effect, but it
showed that they intend to fight and take possession of the ship.

Even this did not frighten Mr. Henderson. His vessel was more than life
to him and he kept on. Several arrows fell dangerously close and he
might have been hurt had not old Andy run after him and induced him to
go farther up the beach and out of harm's way.

"They will kill Washington!" cried Jack as he thought of the colored man
at the mercy of the savages.

"There he comes!" yelled Mark.

He pointed toward the ship and as they all looked in that direction they
saw the colored man climbing out on the deck. Under one arm he bore a
long narrow box, and in the other hand he carried one of the electric
guns.

"He's goin' to fight 'em!" exclaimed Andy. "He's got a gun and he will
show 'em what's what!"

But Washington did not seem to have any such intentions. With a yell
that equalled the savage cries of the natives, he sprang over the side
of the ship, onto the sand and ran toward the group of adventurers. A
flight of arrows followed him, but he was not hit.

CHAPTER XVIII

ON LAND

"Why don't he shoot his gun at 'em?" demanded Andy, capering about on
the sand. "He could soon scare 'em off!"

"I'm afraid Washington is too frightened to do anything like that,"
answered Professor Henderson. "He is lucky to have escaped alive."

"Wait until he gets here with that gun, an' I'll do some huntin' that
will make them savages skip!" exclaimed Andy.

In a little while Washington came up to where the others from the
_Porpoise_ stood on the beach. The colored man was panting from his run.

"De most monstrous disproportionately extradition ob circumstantial
occurrances dat ever transpositioned on my optical vasionariness!" he
exclaimed as he laid his gun and the black box carefully down on the
sand. "