ce of her little
mistress, she had been brought up--(it would be more strictly correct to
say that she had been kicked, and cuffed, and pinched, and battered
up)--by a stepmother, whose chief delight was to pull out handfuls of
her woolly hair, beat her nose flat, (which was adding insult to injury,
for it was too flat by nature), and otherwise to maltreat her. When,
therefore, Poopy received the slap referred to, she immediately dried
her eyes and looked humble. But she did not by any means _feel_ humble.
No; a regard for truth compels us to state, that on this particular
occasion, Poopy acted the part of a hypocrite. If her hands had been
loose, and she had possessed a knife just then--we are afraid to think
of the dreadful use to which she would have put it!

The natives spent a considerable time in securely binding their three
captives, after which they bore them into the cavern.

Here they kindled a torch and held a long palaver as to what was to be
done with the prisoners. Some counselled instant death, others advised
that they should be kept as hostages. The debate was so long and
fierce, that the day had begun to break before it was concluded. It was
at length arranged that they should be conveyed alive to their village,
there to be disposed of according to the instructions of their chiefs.

Feeling that they had already delayed too long, they placed the
prisoners on their shoulders and bore them swiftly away.

Poor Corrie and his sable friend were easily carried, coiled up like
sacks, each on the shoulders of a stalwart savage; but Bumpus, who had
required eight men to bind him, still remained unconvinced of his
vincibility. He struggled so violently on the shoulders of the four men
who bore him, that Keona, in a fit of passion, tinged no doubt with
revenge, hit him such a blow on the head with the handle of an axe as
caused his brains to sing, and a host of stars to dance before his eyes.

These stars were, however, purely imaginary, for at that time the dawn
had extinguished the lesser lights. Ere long, the bright beams of the
rising sun suffused the eastern sky with a golden glow. On passing the
place where Alice had been left, a couple of the party were sent by
Keona to fetch her. They took the unnecessary precaution of binding the
poor child, and speedily rejoined their comrades with her in their arms.

The amazement of her friends on seeing Alice was only equalled by her
surprise on beholdi