"You seem jolly to-day, Ted," said the boy.

"Whist, lad," returned the other, without intermitting his exercise.
"Look as if ye was admirin' me. There's lot of them tattooed monkeys--
savages--beyant the pint. They don't know I've found it out. Slink up
an' gather the boys, an' look alive. I'll amuse 'em here till you come
back. An' I say, don't forgit to bring me revolver an' cutlash."

"All right," was Otto's brief reply, as he sauntered slowly up towards
the bushes. No sooner was he screened by these, however, than he ran
like a hare to the palace.

"Halloo! Dom, Joe, Hugh--all of you--the savages again! Arm--quick!"

It needed no urging to hasten the movements of all who heard the boy's
voice. Ever since the first appearance of the savages Dominick and the
doctor had put all the men of the settlement under daily training in
drill for an hour or so, that they might be better able to act promptly
and in concert if occasion should again occur. The arms had been
collected, and such of them as were not in use stored in a handy
position, so that in two minutes an armed company was proceeding at a
run towards the spot on the shore where Malone was still performing his
antics, to the inexpressible delight of Brown-eyes.

"Where are the spalpeens?" asked the widow Lynch, who had followed the
men.

"Beyant the rocks, mother," answered Malone, as he received his weapons
from Otto and fell into his place in the ranks; "ye'd as well take the
child home, or she'll be sure to follow--she's nigh as wild as yerself."

The widow was indeed fond of seeing, as she used to say, "all the fun
that was goin'," but on this occasion she consented to carry Brown-eyes
out of danger while the settlers moved at a quick step towards the
point.

Behind that point of rocks a band of savages lay concealed, as Malone
had rightly conjectured. There were about forty of them, all armed with
clubs and spears, evidently bent on attacking the settlement. Of course
they meant to do it by surprise, and had concealed themselves among the
bushes behind the point, where they probably would have lain till
nightfall if Brown-eyes in her wanderings had not discovered them.
Their chief would have instantly caught and silenced the poor child, had
she not run so far clear of the point that he would infallibly have
revealed himself to Teddy Malone in doing so.

When that worthy drew near to the rocks, as described, the chief got
ready a spea