now set about active preparations for the intended voyage: collected
together such things as we should require, and laid out on the deck
provisions sufficient to maintain us for several weeks, purposing to
load the canoe with as much as she could hold consistently with speed
and safety. These we covered with a tarpaulin, intending to convey them
to the canoe only a few hours before starting. When night spread her
sable curtain over the scene, we prepared to land; but first kneeling
along with the natives and the teacher, the latter implored a blessing
on our enterprise. Then we rowed quietly to the shore and followed our
sable guide, who led us by a long detour in order to avoid the village,
to the place of rendezvous. We had not stood more than five minutes
under the gloomy shade of the thick foliage when a dark figure glided
noiselessly up to us.

"Ah, here you are!" said Jack as Avatea approached.--"Now, then, tell
her what we've come about, and don't waste time."

"I understan' leetl' English," said Avatea in a low voice.

"Why, where did you pick up English?" exclaimed Jack in amazement. "You
were dumb as a stone when I saw you last."

"She has learned all she knows of it from me," said the teacher, "since
she came to the island."

We now gave Avatea a full explanation of our plans, entering into all
the details, and concealing none of the danger, so that she might be
fully aware of the risk she ran. As we had anticipated, she was too
glad of the opportunity thus afforded her to escape from her persecutors
to think of the danger or risk.

"Then you're willing to go with us, are you?" said Jack.

"Yis, I willing to go."

"And you're not afraid to trust yourself out on the deep sea so far?"

"No, I not 'fraid to go. Safe with Christian."

After some further consultation the teacher suggested that it was time
to return, so we bade Avatea good-night; and having appointed to meet at
the cliff where the canoe lay on the following night, just after dark,
we hastened away--we to row back to the schooner with muffled oars,
Avatea to glide back to her prison-hut among the Mango savages.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

THE FLIGHT--THE PURSUIT--DESPAIR AND ITS RESULTS--THE LION BEARDED IN
HIS DEN AGAIN--AWFUL DANGER THREATENED AND WONDERFULLY AVERTED--A
TERRIFIC STORM.

As the time for our meditated flight drew near, we became naturally very
fearful lest our purpose should be discovered, and we spent the who