on, then," cried Nic; and they ran as quickly as they could down
by the side of the creek, reached the boat in safety, found that the
poles and oars were in their places, and jumped in.

There was no stopping to untie the rope which ran across the gunwale.
Pete's knife flew out and sawed through it in a moment or two. Then one
vigorous thrust sent the craft into the stream; but before they had
cleared the creek there was a shout, followed by the whiz of a bullet
and the report of a musket.

"All right; fire away. Shouldn't come back if you was a ridgment of
zojers," cried Pete, who was sending the boat along vigorously with the
pole. "Lie down, Master Nic; they're going to shoot again."

"And leave you there?" cried Nic. "No."

Instead of screening himself by the boat's side, Nic seized two oars,
got them over the rowlocks, and as soon as they were in the river he
began to pull with all his might, watching the figure of Saunders
limping slowly down after them and stopping from time to time for a
shot; Samson and Xerxes, wakened by the firing, hurrying up, handing him
a fresh musket, and reloading each time.

"Don't see nothing of the gaffer," said Pete coolly; "he must have been
hurt too, or he'd have been after us. There come the blacks. Hear
that?"

Plainly enough, for the whistle was very shrill, and it was answered by
the dogs, which came tearing round the end of the shed to follow the
overseer.

"Row faster than they can zwim," said Pete, laying down the pole.
"Here, give us one oar, Master Nic," he continued; and, taking his seat,
the oar was handed to him, and, aided by the current, the boat began to
move more swiftly.

"Why, there's the gaffer," cried Pete suddenly; and Nic saw that the
settler was coming down from the house by the help of a stick, while the
dogs stood close by Saunders, barking loudly.

"There must have been a desperate fight in the night, Pete," cried Nic.
"Look, there are two of the blacks with their heads tied up."

"And jolly glad I am, Master Nic. I shouldn't have cried much if they'd
all killed one another and left nothing but the bones. There, put that
gun away, stoopid; you can't hit us at this distance."

The overseer seemed to have thought so too, for he lowered the musket,
and Nic just caught sight of him striking savagely with it at the dogs,
which began to bay and make rushes at him. But Nic saw no more, for a
bend in the river, with a clump of trees thereon,