iderable distance from him.
He crept cautiously up the shore until he gained a thicket, and then,
rising, he plunged into the woods and ran straight before him until he
was exhausted, carrying the little dog in his arms. Many a fall and
bruise did the poor fellow receive in his progress, but the fear of
being retaken by the pirates--for such he felt convinced they were--lent
him wings. The Captain and his men made a long search, but finally gave
it up, and, returning to the boat, pushed off. Jarwin never saw them
again.

He and Cuffy lay where they had fallen, and slept, wet though they were,
till the sun was high. They were still sleeping when a native chief of
the island, happening to pass along the beach, discerned Jarwin's
footsteps and traced him out. This chief was an immensely large
powerful man, armed with a heavy club. He awoke the sailor with a kick,
and spoke in a language which he did not understand. His gestures,
however, said plainly enough, "Get up and come along with me," so Jarwin
thought it best to obey. Of course whatever Jarwin thought, Cuffy was
of precisely the same opinion. They therefore quietly got up and
followed the big chief to his village, where they were received by a
large concourse of savages with much excitement and curiosity.

CHAPTER SIX.

OUR HERO BECOMES A FAVOURITE, AND ENTERTAINS HOPES OF ESCAPE.

The sufferings which Jarwin with his little dog had hitherto undergone
were as nothing compared to those which he endured for some months after
being taken prisoner by the savages. At first he gave himself up for
lost, feeling assured that ere long he would be sacrificed in the temple
of one of their idols, and then baked in an oven and consumed as food,
according to the horrible practice of the South-Sea Islanders. Indeed
he began to be much astonished that, as day after day passed, there was
no sign of any intention to treat him in this way, although several
times the natives took him out of the hut in which he was imprisoned,
and, placing him in the centre of a circle, held excited and sometimes
angry discussions over him.

It was not till months afterwards, when he had acquired a slight
knowledge of their language, that he came to understand why he was
spared at this time. It appeared that four shipwrecked sailors, who had
been cast on a neighbouring island, had been killed, baked, and eaten,
according to usage, by the chief and his friends. Immediately
afterwar