mmer.

And so for a time Maurice lived in the barracks under the care of
Sergeant MacDougall, a crusty old warrior, who proved a hard master and
made the boy's life anything but a happy one. And Maurice, though he
was proud of the colonel's kind words and of serving with the regiment,
fretted greatly at the harsh manner of the old sergeant.

One morning he was reported as missing. Little did those who looked for
him all the next day think that the boy was far out at sea, for he had
stowed away on board the _Boadicea_; and although Captain Williams was
very angry with him when he was discovered and led aft, the lad's genial
temper and bright, honest face soon won him over, as, indeed, it did
everyone else on board.

For nearly an hour after the boat had landed at the mouth of the little
stream the seamen were busily-engaged in filling the water casks. Not a
sign of a native could be seen, and then, regardful of the longing looks
that the sailors cast at the grove of coco-nuts, the captain, taking
with him Maurice and four hands, set out along the beach for the purpose
of gathering a few score of the young nuts to give to his men to drink.

One of the four seamen was a Kanaka named 'Tommy Sandwich.' He was a
native of Sandwich or Vate Island in the New Hebrides. In a very short
time this man had ascended a lofty palm-tree, and was throwing down the
coco-nuts to the others, who for some minutes were busily engaged tying
them together to carry them to the boat.

'That will do, Tommy,' cried the captain, presently. 'Come down now and
help the others to carry.' He did not see that Maurice, boy-like
and adventurous, had managed to ascend a less lofty tree some little
distance away, out of sight of his shipmates, and at that moment was
already ensconced in the leafy crown, gazing with rapture at the lovely
scene that lay before him.

It took the men but another ten minutes to tie up the coco-nuts into
bunches of ten, and then each of them drank copiously of the sweet milk
of half a dozen which Tommy had husked for them.

'Come, lads,' said Captain Williams, 'back to the boat now. By-and-by--'

A dreadful chorus of savage yells interrupted him, and he and the men
seized their muskets and sprang to their feet. The sounds seemed to
come from where the boat was watering; in a few seconds more four musket
shots rang out.

'Run, run for your lives,' cried the captain, drawing his pistol. 'The
savages are attacking the boat.