A long pole which Kombé had cut was brought, and instead of the flag one of my white shirts was tied to its top by the sleeves, and then the pole was elevated, and soon the shirt floated in the shape of a flag. The vessel came nearer and nearer the shore, and I could soon make out that it was a whaler: there was no mistake about it, for I could see the whale-boats. With my spy-glass I looked and saw the white faces of the men. The ship hoisted its flag, and the stars and stripes of the great Republic displayed themselves. A wild hurrah from me greeted their appearance, and my men gave three cheers. The breakers were heavy, very heavy, but we must go on board; I must hear the news; I must see the face of a white man—I who had been so long away from civilization, from my kindred, and from the world. “Boys, let us try!” I shouted with excitement; “let us go on board!” All the voices of my men shouted, “Let us try!” and immediately the canoe came down the beach, five men on each side paddle in hand, Ratenou and I standing by the stern. We were watching an opportunity when the angry billows should calm down and there should be a lull. The lull came, and almost as quick as lightning the canoe was in the sea and we were off. My men paddled as hard as they could in order to pass the surf before the heavy rollers should break again. [Sidenote: _A GREAT GORILLA._] But lo! when we were about midway, the face of Ratenou changed color, for from far away came one of those heavy swells that, as he knew, would gradually change itself into a heavy roller as it neared the shore, and in breaking dash to pieces all that came in contact with it. If that roller broke before it reached us, however, all would be right. It came on, rising and rising, when suddenly Ratenou said—“Commi, you are men! Let us take care of our white man!” Then the paddles stood still; the roller crested and broke right upon our canoe, upsetting it with fearful force, and whirling us round and round. I was stunned by the force of the waves; breaker after breaker came dashing upon us, one after the other, but the faithful Commi men were there, shouting one to another—“Let us take care of our white man!” Ratenou, Kombé, and Oshimbo were swimming under me; I was surrounded by them all; good, noble fellows they were. At last we reached the shore. I looked round. Every man was there; no one had been drowned; no one had had his head smashed by the upsetting of the canoe. With a grateful heart I thanked God for his goodness to us all. The tide was coming up, and our canoe and paddles were soon thrown on the beach by the force of the waves and the current. I looked at that vessel, and how sorry when I was gradually its white sails became dimmer and dimmer in the distance. At last it disappeared, and with a heavy sigh I made for the camp. If you had been in a strange land amid savages, I am sure you would have felt as I did then. [Illustration: [Fleuron]]