head.

"Oh, all right," growled Jem, with a menacing look.

"Yes, it's all right, Jem Wimble. But look here, don't you or either of
you cut up rough; for if you do, things may go very awkward."

"I should like to make it awkward for them, Mas' Don," whispered Jem, as
the convicts turned away; "but never mind, I can wait."

They did wait, day after day, working hard, ill fed, and suffering
endless abuse, and often blows, which would have been resented by Ngati,
but for a look from Don; and night by night, as they gathered together
in their little lean-to hut, with a thick heap of fern leaves for their
bed their conversation was on the same subject--how could they get the
muskets and spears, and escape.

There was no further alarm on the part of the Maoris, who seemed, after
they had been discouraged in their pursuit, and startled by the guns, to
have given up all intention of recapturing the escaped prisoners.

"If we could only get the guns and spears, Jem," said Don one evening
for the hundredth time.

"Yes, and I'd precious soon have them," replied Jem; "only they're
always on the watch."

"Yes, they're too cunning to leave them for a moment. Was any one ever
before so unlucky as we are?"

"Well, if you come to that," said Jem, "yes. Poor old Tomati, for one;
and it can't be very nice for Ngati here, who has lost all his tribe."

Ngati looked up sharply, watching them both intently in the gloomy
cabin.

"But he don't seem to mind it so very much."

"What do you say to escaping without spears?"

"Oh, I'm willing," replied Jem; "only I wouldn't be in too great a
hurry. Those chaps wouldn't mind having a shot at us again, and this
time they might hit."

"What shall we do then?"

"Better wait, Mas' Don. This sort o' thing can't last. We shall soon
eat up all the fruit, and then they'll make a move, and we may have a
better chance."

Don sighed and lay with his eyes half-closed, watching one particular
star which shone in through the doorway.

But not for long. The star seemed to grow misty as if veiled by a
cloud; then it darkened altogether; so it seemed to Don, for the simple
reason that he had fallen fast asleep.

It appeared only a minute since he was gazing at the star before he felt
a hand pressed across his mouth, and with a horrible dread of being
smothered, he uttered a hoarse, stifled cry, and struggled to get free;
but another hand was pressed upon his chest, and it seemed as if t