If safety had been assured I think most of the men would have accompanied him, but the old ship, which had been our home for so many months, now began to look more attractive than this garden spot. One of the crew, who during the voyage had bewailed his lot in being deprived of liquor, accepted the invitation cheerfully. We all stared at him, but there was no disposition to sound a warning in the presence of Ellyon. The two men walked up the beach to a little opening in the trees and disappeared. Our men were ordered to be ready to man the boats. I heard a man say, with a laugh, “He didn’t call himself Pete, but Peter. He’s pretty high-toned, even out here among savages.” Another man said in a very low tone, “What was Lakeum up to in not stoppin’ that man from goin’? He’ll never come back, sure.” The women and children showed no disposition to go, and this seemed to indicate to me that, while our departed shipmate was rather imprudent, there was reason to believe that he would return. I was right. He did return and in a hurry. Suddenly there rang out a piercing shriek; the women and children disappeared, and out of the thicket sprang our shipmate, followed by Ellyon, and ran for us like a deer. Word came to push off, and into his place leaped the man as agile as a cat. The crews bent to the oars, and there on the beach stood our would-be entertainer, his face fairly livid with rage. He sent after us a torrent of vile language; strange to say, no natives appeared on the shore, and, as we widened the breach, the form of our late associate was still visible and still active, but the billingsgate language kept growing less and less distinct. [Illustration: Out of the thicket sprang our shipmate.] It was no time to learn the story of our shipmate’s adventure. When we reached the _Seabird_ our boat remained in the water while the other boats were raised. There was soon commotion on the deck, and the hostage appeared in the custody of a couple of the men. By sign and gesture he was ordered into our boat, and he complied. It was not a long haul to a spot suitable to dump him. Lakeum declared: “See here, hostage, there’s your friend on shore. He’s waiting for you and you’d better go overboard.” The hostage was indifferent. Lakeum smiled, and then imitated a man about to leap over. The hostage, who had rebelled when he thought the ship was bound out to sea, still seemed indisposed. Lakeum laughingly declared, “We will do what is usual under the circumstances.” Lakeum and another man seized the native and pitched him into the sea. There was nothing cruel in the performance. The sea was the man’s element, and he struck out in the direction of Ellyon as if he was going to rejoin an old companion.