ithin half a dozen miles of us at this moment--
ten big canoe-loads of them, and they'll be ashore here and about our
ears in two hours from now, unless we can devise some means of
preventing them. How are you getting on, Chips? How long will it be
before you are ready to wedge up?"

"Not for three or four hours yet, I'm afraid," answered the carpenter,
pausing in his work to consider the matter. "You see, we've a good deal
to do yet afore we can finish this here cradle, and the wood, bein'
nothin' but odds and ends like, is comin' a bit awk'ard--"

"Just so, I quite understand," I cut in upon his explanation. "Well,
carry on, man; don't stop an instant; we can't afford to waste so much
as a single second just now. Do the best you can with the resources at
your command, and work as you never worked before. As for me, I'm going
to take out the catamaran to meet those beggars, and see if I can't
hamper them a bit and prevent them from landing here in this bay. I've
blocked the cavern entrance at the other end, so it won't matter much
where they land so long as they don't come ashore here. That must be
prevented at all costs. I shall want one hand with me to sail the
catamaran while I do the fighting. Now, who can best be spared?"

"Why, I think I am the most useless member of the party--" began
Cunningham.

"No," I interrupted him emphatically; "your engineering knowledge should
come in very usefully in helping Chips to use up those odds and ends of
timber to the best advantage in completing the cradle. You are the man
for me, Simpson, so jump now. Get aboard the schooner, open a box of
ammunition, and bring me as many cartridges as you can carry, also
another gun, in case anything goes wrong with this one. Then join me
aboard the catamaran. And now, so long, you chaps; I'm off. Do your
level best to finish off and wedge up as soon as possible; and I'll do
what I can to hinder the savages and keep them from landing here.
Goodbye!" and, so saying, I turned and ran toward the spot where the
catamaran lay with her bows hauled up on the beach.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

WE ESCAPE BY THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH.

In a few minutes Sails joined me, with the extra gun and a biscuit tin
full of cartridges; and between us we got the catamaran afloat, swung
her round with her bows pointing seaward, and both jumped aboard. Then,
while I seized the steering paddle, Simpson sprang to the main halyards
and hoisted the big