EPART, LEAVING US AGAIN ALONE ON OUR CORAL
ISLAND.

After the battle was over, the savages crowded round us and gazed at us
in surprise, while they continued to pour upon us a flood of questions,
which, being wholly unintelligible, of course we could not answer.
However, by way of putting an end to it, Jack took the chief (who had
recovered from the effects of his wound) by the hand and shook it
warmly. No sooner did the blacks see that this was meant to express
good-will than they shook hands with us all round. After this ceremony
was gone through Jack went up to the girl, who had never once moved from
the rock where she had been left, but had continued an eager spectator
of all that had passed. He made signs to her to follow him, and then,
taking the chief by the hand, was about to conduct him to the bower when
his eye fell on the poor infant which had been thrown into the sea and
was still lying on the shore. Dropping the chief's hand he hastened
towards it, and, to his great joy, found it to be still alive. We also
found that the mother was beginning to recover slowly.

"Here, get out o' the way," said Jack, pushing us aside as we stooped
over the poor woman and endeavoured to restore her; "I'll soon bring her
round." So saying, he placed the infant on her bosom and laid its warm
cheek on hers. The effect was wonderful. The woman opened her eyes,
felt the child, looked at it, and with a cry of joy, clasped it in her
arms, at the same time endeavouring to rise--for the purpose,
apparently, of rushing into the woods.

"There, that's all right," said Jack, once more taking the chief by the
hand.--"Now, Ralph and Peterkin, make the women and these fellows follow
me to the bower. We'll entertain them as hospitably as we can."

In a few minutes the savages were all seated on the ground in front of
the bower, making a hearty meal off a cold roast pig, several ducks, and
a variety of cold fish, together with an unlimited supply of cocoa-nuts,
bread-fruits, yams, taro, and plums--with all of which they seemed to be
quite familiar and perfectly satisfied.

Meanwhile we three, being thoroughly knocked up with our day's work,
took a good draught of cocoa-nut lemonade, and throwing ourselves on our
beds, fell fast asleep. The savages, it seems, followed our example,
and in half-an-hour the whole camp was buried in repose.

How long we slept I cannot tell; but this I know--that when we lay down
the sun was setting