yhow, I'm going on up the river to give them a lesson; and if we come
back and find them all reduced to skins and skeletons down upon their
marrow-bones asking to be took aboard, why, then, perhaps, we shall see,
and--what in the name of wonder's up now?"

For all at once, as the boats pushed off and the sail of the foremost
was being hoisted, the six men reappeared from where they had hidden in
the woods and came running towards them, shouting and making signs.

"They've caved in at once, skipper," said Briscoe laughingly. "Look
here, you'd better have a court-martial and sentence them to give each
other a round dozen with a rope's-end upon the bare back."

"Look, look!" shouted Brace, springing to his feet and shading his eyes,
before snatching up a rifle, an example immediately followed by the
rest, for there in the distance appeared the whole of the six deserters
running hard in a knot, and dodging in and out among the trees as they
made for the shore, while in full pursuit there was about double their
number of savages apparently armed with bows and arrows, of which they
made use by stopping from time to time to send a shaft in pursuit of the
fugitives.

"Shall we land and go to their help?" said Brace.

"I don't think we need," said Sir Humphrey. "They seem to be holding
their own in running, and I suppose now, captain, you'll have no
objection to them on board?"

"Not a doubt of it, sir," said the captain drily.

"Here, Lynton, haul that boat alongside. We shall want them now, Mr
Brace."

"Of course," replied the young adventurer.

"But you haven't looked down the river, sir."

"What at?" said Brace, staring; and then, panting with his excitement:
"I say, there are four large canoes coming up."

"That's right, sir," said the captain gravely. "Now look the other way.
See that?"

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

THE FIRE GROWS HOTTER.

"I do," said Briscoe, staring. "I can see two canoes coming round the
bend yonder, half a mile away."

"Two!" cried Brace excitedly; "why, there are three."

"Yes," said the captain coolly; "we're took front, back, and flank.
Better put off the rope's-ending now, Mr Briscoe, eh?"

"Well, it would be better," said the American coolly, as he carefully
loaded his piece. "These things are as well done privately and without
a lot of lookers on. It might give these dark gentlemen a bad opinion
of the whites."

"What are you going to do, captain?" said Sir Humphrey imp