‘Stand by, then. Range yourselves on both sides of the boat, carelessly. Each of you find out exactly where you shall lay hold. I will load my guns. Safeni, take these cloths on your arm, walk up towards the men on the hill; open out the cloths one by one, you know, as though you were admiring the pattern. But keep your ears open. When I call out to you, throw the cloths away and fly to us, or your death will lie on your own head! Do you understand?’ ‘Perfectly, master.’ ‘Then go.’ Meantime, I loaded my guns, my elephant-rifle, double-barrelled shot-gun, Winchester repeater, and two or three Sniders belonging to the men. ‘Lay hold firmly, boys; break the boat rather than stop. It is life or death.’ Safeni was about fifty yards off; the natives’ eyes were fastened on him, wondering why he came. ‘Now, boys, ready?’ ‘Ready! please God, master!’ ‘Push! push, Saramba, Kirango! Push, you villain, Baraka.’ ‘Aye, aye, sir! push it is.’ The boat moved, the crew drove her sternward, her keel ploughing through the gravel, and crunching through the stony beach. We were nearing the lake. ‘Hurrah, boys! Push, you scoundrels! Ha! the natives see you! They are coming! Safeni! Safeni! Safeni! Push, boys, the natives are on you!’ Safeni heard, and came racing towards us. The boat glided into the water, and carried the crew with her far out with the impetus with which she was launched. ‘Swim away with her, boys, don’t stop!’ Alas for Safeni! A tall native who bounds over the ground like a springbok, poises his spear for a cast. The balanced spear was about to fly--I could not lose my man--I fired. The bullet perforated him, and flew through a second man. ‘Jump, Safeni, head first into the lake!’ The bowmen came to the lake, and drew their bows; the Winchester repeater dropped them steadily. The arrows pierced the boat and mast, and quivered in the stern behind me. One only drew blood from me. When we had got one hundred yards from the shore, the arrows were harmless. I lifted a man into the boat, he assisted the rest. We stopped for Safeni, and drew him safely in. The natives manned four canoes. My crew were told to tear the bottom-boards of the boat up for paddles. The canoes advancing fiercely on us, we desisted from paddling. I loaded my elephant-rifle with explosive bullets, and when the foremost canoe was about eighty yards off, took deliberate aim at a spot in it between wind and water. The shell struck, and tore a large fragment from the brittle wood. The canoe sank. Another canoe soon after met the same fate; the others returned. We were saved! After being seventy-six hours without food, we reached Refuge Island. We shot some ducks, and discovered some wild fruit. Delicious evening,--how we enjoyed it! The next day we made new oars; and, finally, after fifty-seven days’ absence from our camp, relieved our anxious people. ‘But where is Barker?’ I asked Frank Pocock.