eping as soundly and
peacefully, as though all our troubles and dangers were now at an end.
How easily they put in practice the philosophy that vexes itself not
about the future! Exercising the happy privilege of childhood, they
cast upon others, in whom they placed implicit confidence, the
responsibility of thinking and planning for them--free from all care and
anxiety themselves.

Arthur now gave us a more detailed account of what had occurred since
our separation.

"Do you remember," said he, when he had finished, "hearing Eiulo, in
talking of affairs at Tewa, make mention of a person named Atollo?"

"Atollo?" said Browne, "was not that the name of an uncle of his whom he
made out to be a strange, unnatural sort of monster, even for a heathen,
and who concocted a plot for the murder of his own father and brother,
and afterwards attempted to kill Eiulo by rolling rocks down a precipice
after him in the woods!"

"The same," answered Arthur. "I hardly supposed that you would have
remembered it, as no one but myself seemed to take much interest in
Eiulo's reminiscences of Tewa, the rest of you being obliged to get them
at second-hand, through me as interpreter. Well, that Atollo has
reached this island in some way, with a band of followers: it was by
them that we were captured yesterday; it is from his power that we have
just escaped."

"What is this Atollo like?" inquired Browne. "Is he a tall,
large-framed man, but gaunt and spare as a half-starved hound?"

"Yes, with sharp features, and a wild, restless eye."

"Why, then," continued Browne, turning to me, "it was he, who was at the
head of the second party of natives that we saw this morning by the
shore."

We now gave Arthur an account of our rencontre with the savages; but no
particular mention was made of the destruction of the canoe, or of the
lion-like old man who seemed to be the leader of those who fled.

"And little Eiulo's dread of this strange uncle of his," said Browne,
"is then so great, that he preferred running away to us again, to
remaining with his own people?"

"Incredible as it may seem," answered Arthur, "I am convinced that his
fears are not without foundation, and I even believe that this man
intended to take his life, and would have done so, had we not escaped."

"Incredible, indeed!" exclaimed Browne, "and what could be the motive
for so atrocious a crime?"

"I know of none that seems sufficient to account for it fully, and I