of the rock, where the pinnace usually came to, the canoes, &c., having made another, and a less eligible harbour.  Bob then landed in person, and stole along the shore in the direction of the sleeping savages.  Unknown to himself, he was watched, and was just crouching under some bushes, in order to get a little nearer, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  There was a moment when blood was in danger of being shed, but Betts’s hand was stayed by hearing, in good English, the words—­

“Where are you bound, shipmate?”

This question was asked in a guarded, under-tone, a circumstance that reassured Bob, quite as much as the language.  He at once perceived that the two men whom he had, rightly enough, taken for seamen, were in these bushes, where it would seem they had long been on the watch, observing the movements of the pinnace.  They told Bob to have no apprehensions, as all the savages were asleep, at some little distance, and accompanied him back to the Neshamony.  Here, to the surprise and joy of all parties, Bigelow recognised both the sailors, who had not only been his former shipmates, but were actually his townsmen in America, the whole three having been born within a mile of each other.  The history of these three wanderers from home was very much alike.  They had come to the Pacific in a whaler, with a drunken captain, and had, in succession, left the ship.  Bigelow found his way to Panama, where he was caught by the dark eyes of Theresa, as has been related.  Peters had fallen in with Jones, in the course of his wanderings, and they had been for the last two years among the pearl islands, undecided what to do with themselves, when Waally ordered both to accompany him in the present expedition.  They had gathered enough in hints given by different chiefs, to understand that a party of Christians was to be massacred, or enslaved, and plundered of course.  They had heard of the ‘canoe’ that had been tabooed for twelve moons, but were at a loss to comprehend one-half of the story, and were left to the most anxious conjectures.  They were not permitted to pass on to the islands under the control of Ooroony, but were jealously detained in Waally’s part of the group, and consequently had not been in a situation to learn all the particulars of the singular party of colonists who had gone to the southward.  Thus much did Peters relate, in substance, when a call among the savages notified the whole of the whites of the necessity of coming to some conclusion concerning the future.  Jones and Peters acknowledged it would not be safe to remain any longer, though the last gave his opinion with an obvious reluctance.  As it afterwards appeared, Peters had married an Indian wife, to whom he was much attached, and he did not like the idea of abandoning her.  There was but a moment for reflection, however, and almost without knowing it himself, when he found the pinnace about to make sail in order to get off the land, he followed Jones into her, and was half a mile from the shore before he had time to reflect much on her he had left behind him.  His companion consoled him by telling him that an opportunity might occur of sending a message to Petrina, as they had named the pretty young savage, who would not fail to find her way to Rancocus, sooner or later.