Wallis,
'Master, ship _Algerine_ of New Bedford.
'October 2 st, 1839.'

'Well, that's satisfactory,' said Captain Williams, turning to Tommy.
'Tell him that I am going to land and try and find Maurice, and he can
help me with his people. Mr Hodgson, man and arm the boats again.'

In a moment all was bustle and excitement, in the midst of which a loud
'hurrah' came from aloft from a sailor who was on the fore-yard watching
the remaining canoes of Baringa's fleet. 'Hurrah! Here's Maurice, sir,
coming off in a canoe with a nigger, an' a lot of other niggers in four
canoes a-chasin' him.'

Springing to the taffrail, Captain Williams saw the canoe, which had
just rounded the point and was now well in view. The two boys were
paddling for their lives; behind them were the four canoes filled with
yelling savages.

'Into the boats, men, for God's sake!' roared the captain. Had a
greater distance separated Maurice from his pursuers the master of the
_Boadicea_ would have endeavoured to have sunk the four canoes with
the ship's guns; but the risk was too great to attempt it as they were.
However, the gunner and carpenter were sent into the fore-top to try and
pick off some of the natives by firing over Maurice's canoe.

Five minutes later the ship's three boats were pulling swiftly to the
rescue, and Baringa, jumping into his own canoe, beckoned to the rest
of his flotilla to follow him, and six natives urged the light craft
furiously along after the boats.

On, on, came the two poor boys, straining every nerve; but every moment
their pursuers gained on them; and on, on dashed the heavy, cumbersome
boats. Already the nearest canoe was within fifty feet of Maurice and
his black friend, the savage paddlers undaunted by the fire from the
muskets of the gunner and carpenter, when Captain Williams saw a native
rise up and hurl a club at the two boys. Quick as lightning the captain
picked up his musket and fired, and the savage fell forward with a
bullet through his chest. But quick as he was he was too late, for the
club whizzed through the air and struck the native boy on his right arm.

A savage yell of triumph came from the pursuing canoes as their
occupants saw the boy go down and the canoe broach-to, and then the
leading canoe dashed up alongside that of Maurice and his companion.

'Pull, men, pull, for God's sake!' cried the captain, frantically, as
he saw the Irish lad, paddle in hand, standing up over the bod