for anything or anybody; so come along."

Ngati took possession of Don, and led the way, evidently very proud of
his young companion; whilst Jem followed with the Englishman down the
gully slope, and then in and out among the trees, ferns, and bushes,
till the dangerous hot and mud springs were passed, and the _whare_ was
reached. Then the weary fugitives were seated before what seemed to
them a banquet of well-cooked fish, fruits, and roots, with a kind of
hasty pudding preparation, which was far from bad.

"Feel better, now?" said the Englishman, after he had sat and smoked
till they had done.

"Better? Yes, I'm better," said Jem; "but I should like to know one
thing."

"Well, what is it?"

"Will they go on feeding us like this?"

"Yes; and if they don't, I will."

"But--it don't--it don't mean any games, does it?" said Jem, in a
doubting tone.

"You mean making game of you?" said the Englishman with a broad grin.

"Yes, hare or fezzun," said Jem.

The Englishman laughed, and turned to Don.

"I'll see if you can't have a better hiding-place to-night. That was
very dangerous, and I may as well tell you to mind where you go about
here, for more than one poor fellow has been smothered in the hot mud
holes, and scalded to death."

"Is the water so hot as that?" said Don.

"Hot? Why, those vegetables and things you ate were cooked in one of
the boiling springs."

"Phew!" whistled Jem.

They sat talking in the moonlight afterwards, listening to the tattooed
Englishman, who spoke about what he had heard from the ship's crew.
Among other things the news that they might sail at any time.

Don started, and the tattooed Englishman noticed it.

"Yes," he said; "that means going away and leaving you two behind. You
don't seemed pleased."

Don looked up at him earnestly.

"No," he said; "I didn't at first. Don't think me ungrateful after what
you've done."

"I don't, my lad," said the man, kindly; "I know what you feel. It's
like being shut away from every one you know; and you feel as if you
were going to be a savage, and never see England again. I felt
something like that once; but I didn't come out like you did. Ah, well,
that's neither here nor there. You're only a boy yet, with plenty o'
time before you. Make yourself as happy as you can; these chaps are not
so very bad when they don't want to get fighting, and I daresay you and
me will be good enough friends. Eh? Hullo! What's the mat