tain's voice dropped as he said this, and his face was overspread
with an expression of profound gravity.

"Do you _really_ believe in all the stories we have heard of the
blood-thirstiness of these savages, and their taste for human flesh?"
asked Will, with some anxiety.

"Believe them!" exclaimed the captain, with a bitter, almost ferocious
laugh; "of course I do. I have _seen_ them at their bloody work, lad.
It's all very well for shore-goin' folk in the old country to make their
jokes about `Cold missionary on the sideboard,' and to sing of the `King
of the Cannibal Islands;' but, as sure as there is a sky over your head,
and a coral island under your feet, so certainly do the South Sea
savages kill, roast, and eat their enemies, and so fond are they of
human flesh that, when they can't get hold of enemies, they kill and eat
their slaves. Look, you can make out the canoe well enough now without
the glass; she's makin' straight for the opening in the reef. The sun
will be up in half an hour, and they'll arrive about the same time.
Come, let us rouse the men."

Hastening down to the tent, the captain raised the curtain, and shouted
hoarsely--

"Hallo, lads, turn out there--turn out. Here's a canoe in sight--look
alive!"

Had a bomb-shell fallen into the midst of the sleepers, it could
scarcely have produced more commotion among them. Every one sprang up
violently.

"Hooroo!" shouted Larry O'Hale, "didn't I say so? Sure it's mysilf was
draimin' of ould Ireland, an' the cabin in the bog wi' that purty little
crature--" He stopped abruptly, and added, "Och! captain dear, what's
wrong?"

"Hold you tongue, Larry, for a little, and keep your cheerin' till you
have done fightin', for it's my opinion we may have something to do in
that way ere long."

"Faix, it's mysilf as can enjoy a taste o' that too," said Larry,
buttoning his jacket and turning up his cuffs.

By this time the canoe was approaching the passage in the reef, and the
whole party hastened to the beach, where they held a hasty council of
war, for it was now clear that the canoe was one of the largest size--
capable of holding nearly a hundred men--and that it was quite full of
naked savages. In a few words the captain explained to the men the
character of the islanders, as ascertained by himself on previous
voyages, and showed how hopeless would be their case if they turned out
to be heathens.

"Now," said he, "we are fifteen in number, all