on.

While this was going on, Larry O'Hale whispered excitedly to his
companions--

"Howld on, lads, a bit. Sure I've burst the ropes at last. The moment
I git howld o' that blackguard's knife I'll cut yer lashin's. Stand by
for a rush."

As Larry spoke, the tall savage drew the knife referred to from his
girdle, and, glancing over his shoulder, said in English--

"Keep quiet, lads. I'll do my best to save 'ee; but if you offer to
fight, you're dead men all in five minutes."

Amazement, if no other feeling had operated, would have rendered the
prisoners perfectly quiet after that. They waited in deep anxiety and
wonder, while the tall savage continued his harangue, at the conclusion
of which his hearers uttered an expressive grunt or growl, as if of
assent, and then they all filed out of the hut, leaving the prisoners
alone with their deliverer.

CHAPTER TEN.

OUR HERO AND HIS COMRADES IN DISTRESS BECOME SAVAGE WARRIORS FOR THE
NONCE.

"Friend," said Captain Dall, taking the hand of the tall savage in his
and speaking with some emotion, "you have been sent as our deliverer, I
know, but how a South Sea islander should happen to befriend us, and how
you should come to speak English as well as ye do, is more than I can
understand."

"Onderstand!" exclaimed Larry; "it's past belaif. It baits
cock-fightin' intirely."

A grim smile crossed the painted face of the savage, as he said somewhat
hurriedly:--

"I'm no more a South Sea islander than you are, lads, but this is not
the time for explanations. It's enough for you to know, in the
meantime, that I'm an Englishman, and will befriend you if you agree to
obey me."

"Obey ye!" cried Larry with enthusiasm, "blissin's on yer painted mug,
it's warship ye we will, av ye only git us out o' this scrape."

"That's so," said Muggins, nodding his head emphatically, while Mr
Cupples, in tones of the most awful solemnity, and with a look that
cannot be described, vowed eternal friendship.

"Well, then," said the tall man, "we have no time to waste, for you are
in a greater fix just now than ye think for. About myself it's enough
to know that I'm a runaway sailor; that I made my way among these
fellers here by offering to join 'em and fight for 'em, and that I won
their respect at first by knocking down, in fair stand-up fight, all the
biggest men o' the tribe. I don't think they would have spared me even
after that, but I curried favour with the chief an