e us appeared the brig, and turning
round our heads, we saw at almost an equal distance a couple of canoes.
On we dashed, shouting at the same time at the top of our voices. The
people on board the brig apparently heard us, for a boat was lowered.
The wind was moderate; but still a heavy surf rolled in on the shore.
At that moment the fragile canoe was lifted up by a sea, and then down
she came upon a bed of rocks, almost splitting in two.

"On, on!" I cried to Oliver, throwing off my jacket; "we must swim for
it!" and seizing him by the arm, I helped him to wade across the reef,
and then plunging into the sea, we swam off towards the boat. Her crew
perceived our danger, and with sturdy strokes pulled towards us. A
glance I cast behind showed me that one of the canoes of the savages had
met with the same accident that we had, and several dark heads were seen
floating in the water, and getting fearfully near us. One of our
pursuers, I saw, held a club in his hand. Had I been alone, I might
easily have kept ahead of the savages, as we had so much the start of
them; but Oliver not being so good a swimmer as I was, made but slow
progress. The other canoe, avoiding the reef on which we had struck,
made for an opening in it, and was only a short distance behind the
swimmers. I looked up. Oh, how long the boat appeared to be coming!
Still she was coming; and I urged Oliver to persevere. He redoubled his
efforts. How grateful I felt when at length the boat reached us. I
looked up, and there I saw the countenance of Dick Tarbox, of Roger
Trew, and the dark features of Potto Jumbo, expanded by excitement in
the most wonderful manner. There also were several others of my
shipmates. Was it a dream, or was it a reality? For an instant I
thought the whole must be a strange dream. Still, no, it must be a
reality, I said to myself; and crying out, urged my friends to take
Oliver on board, I meantime treading water alongside. They lifted him
up, and had just time to stow him in the bottom of the boat, when the
savages were upon us. One fierce fellow was close to me with uplifted
dagger. Roger Trew knocked it out of his hand with his oar, which the
savage then seized. Another savage was coming on with his club raised
in one hand, while with the other he tried to catch the stem of the
boat, when Dick Tarbox came down on his cranium with the blade of an oar
with such force, that the savage sunk beneath the sea. The othe