ently mean to fight."

"All right, Dellow; be ready for 'em. I shall lead. We mean to fight
too."

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

THE WAY TO NOWHERE.

The long light canoes of the approaching Indians were well manned, and
as they came nearer Brace could see that most of the occupants wore a
kind of tiara made of the tail feathers of parrots or macaws. Several
held spears or bows, but the major part were busy paddling, and they
came down with the stream, evidently full of fierce determination to
destroy or capture the strange intruders upon their solitudes, striving
hard to increase the speed of their canoes, which were in a well-kept
line.

There was no time for the discussion of plans, for the distance between
the brig's boats and the enemy was rapidly growing less.

"One wouldn't have time to prepare anything if one wanted to," said the
captain, after a sharp glance forward. "Will you leave it to me,
gentlemen, to do my best?"

"Of course," said Sir Humphrey, and Briscoe nodded from where he knelt,
with his double gun held ready in his hand.

"Then here goes," said the captain. "Ahoy there, Dellow; clap on all
you can, take the tiller yourself; and run one of the canoes down. Let
your lads knock all over who try to board you."

"Ay, ay!" came back in answer from the second boat.

"Now, Lynton," continued the captain, "steer for that canoe in the
centre. We're going faster than they are. You, gentlemen, don't shoot,
but use the butt-ends of your rifles if we should happen to get to close
quarters. Every man take an oar or boathook, and use 'em like as if
they were whaling-lances. Ready? Look out!"

Their boat, with the sail straining at the sheet, was now rushing
through the water, the side not two inches above the surface, as she
raced for the centre of the line of canoes.

"Sit fast!" roared the captain. "Down with you, Mr Brace, or you'll be
overboard."

Brace, who had risen in his excitement so as to be able to club his gun,
dropped down on to the seat at once.

Then from in front as their own boat seemed to be standing absolutely
still and the line of canoes dashing rapidly at them with the paddles
churning up the water on either side, there was a fierce yelling, a
gleam of opal-rimmed eyes, a crash which made the boat quiver from stem
to stern. The sail jerked and snapped as if it were going to fall over
the side, and then they were past the centre canoe, sailing on as fast
as ever.

L