n the same
manner as the chief had done. We were much puzzled to know what this
could signify; but as there was no way of solving our difficulty, we
were obliged to rest content.

Jack now made signs to the natives to follow him, and taking up his axe,
he led them to the place where the battle had been fought. Here we
found the prisoners, who had passed the night on the beach, having been
totally forgotten by us, as our minds had been full of our guests, and
were ultimately overcome by sleep. They did not seem the worse for
their exposure, however, as we judged by the hearty appetite with which
they devoured the breakfast that was soon after given to them. Jack
then began to dig a hole in the sand, and after working a few seconds,
he pointed to it and to the dead bodies that lay exposed on the beach.
The natives immediately perceived what he wanted, and running for their
paddles, dug a hole in the course of half-an-hour that was quite large
enough to contain all the bodies of the slain. When it was finished,
they tossed their dead enemies into it with so much indifference that we
felt assured they would not have put themselves to this trouble had we
not asked them to do so. The body of the yellow-haired chief was the
last thrown in. This wretched man would have recovered from the blow
with which Jack felled him, and indeed he did endeavour to rise during
the _melee_ that followed his fall; but one of his enemies, happening to
notice the action, dealt him a blow with his club that killed him on the
spot.

While they were about to throw the sand over this chief, one of the
savages stooped over him, and with a knife, made apparently of stone,
cut a large slice of flesh from his thigh. We knew at once that he
intended to make use of this for food, and could not repress a cry of
horror and disgust.

"Come, come, you blackguard!" cried Jack, starting up and seizing the
man by the arm, "pitch that into the hole. Do you hear?"

The savage, of course, did not understand the command; but he perfectly
understood the look of disgust with which Jack regarded the flesh, and
his fierce gaze as he pointed towards the hole. Nevertheless, he did
not obey. Jack instantly turned to Tararo and made signs to him to
enforce obedience. The chief seemed to understand the appeal; for he
stepped forward, raised his club, and was on the point of dashing out
the brains of his offending subject when Jack sprang forward and caught
hi