And so the afternoon wore on.

"We shall be no sooner," said Jack at last. "In an hour it will be dark."

"Yes," said the doctor with a sigh. "It would not matter if the blacks are not there first, but the worst of it is, as soon as it's dusk the captain will be lighting up that firework business for a beacon, and that will show the canoes where to steer."

It proved just as he said. The darkness came on with awful rapidity as soon as the sun disappeared beneath the waves, all searching the edge of the reef most anxiously during the last rays which flooded the sea; but in vain; and then for a full hour they rowed steadily on, guided by the gleaming of the fireflies against the black darkness ash.o.r.e, but all at once a bright star shone out.

"There she is!" cried Jack excitedly. "Look how Mr Bartlett has turned the boat's head straight for the light."

"Yes; we shall follow the bright path straight away now," said the doctor.

"How are you getting on there?" came from the boat in front. "Hungry, or will you wait till we get on board?"

"We'll wait, father," shouted Jack.

"Yes. Only half-an-hour now. Mr Bartlett thinks we've distanced the canoes."

They were soon to learn for certain, as they followed the bright path of light which minute by minute grew clearer, till they could see as it were right up to the anch.o.r.ed yacht.

"Shall we hail the captain?" said Jack.

He had hardly spoken when he felt a jar run through the boat, and found that the towing-line had been hauled upon till the prow of the second boat touched the stern of the first.

"Hist there!" said the mate. "Perfect silence, please. We must creep alongside so as to give warning. There must be no hailing. This is the most dangerous time."

"How far are we away?" said the doctor in a whisper.

"About five hundred yards."

"How is it the oars go so quietly now?" whispered Jack.

"m.u.f.fled, and the men are just dipping them, so as to keep a fair way on."

The next two or three minutes were pa.s.sed in silence, Jack's boat having once more dropped astern to the full length of the rope.

The lad had risen to stand up and watch the line of light extending from them right up to the source of the rays ahead, and from his position he could look right over the foremost boat.

"How deceptive it is!" he thought. "One can hardly tell how near we are, and--ah!--"

"What is it, boy?" whispered the doctor.

For answer Jack pointed right ahead to where something dark could be seen crossing the line of sight.

"One of the canoes," said the doctor quickly. "We shall be right aboard her."

He crept forward, but Jack forestalled him, and was hauling in the line till they wore close up.

"Mr Bartlett--father!"

"Yes; what is it?"

"You are rowing right into one of the canoes."

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

A SHARP LESSON.

The men ceased rowing, and Jack sat with his heart beating painfully, his mind full of memories of accounts he had read concerning encounters with savages, and wounds inflicted by poisoned arrows and spears.

As he sat in the intense darkness, watching the brilliant star-like lamp, it all seemed to be dreamlike and impossible that he should be there--he who so short a time before was leading that quiet student life in the study or library at home.

But there was the black canoe gliding by the light, and like so many silhouettes the dark, clearly-defined figures of the savages busy paddling.

No, it could not be the canoe he had seen first, it must be another, and the next minute he had proof thereof, in this canoe pa.s.sing across the disk of radiant light, leaving it for a few moments clear, and then another appeared, and he watched the little black silhouettes steadily moving as they paddled, till the long boat had gone by, when another appeared and pa.s.sed.

"Give way!" came in a whisper; then the oars dipped silently, and they began to move onward.

"We must make a dash for it, or they will surprise the yacht," whispered the mate. Then he leaned over backward, and the exciting words came--"Astern there. Guns ready and load."

A faint whisper or two from the mate's boat told that the men not rowing had received a similar command, and Jack, as he thrust a couple of cartridges into the breech of his gun, felt that the canoes would be paddling round the yacht, and have reached the other side by the time they were alongside.

"Are we not going to shout and alarm Captain Bradleigh?" whispered Jack to the doctor.

"No; sit still," said that gentleman sternly. "He and your father are the leaders. We have only to obey. Don't fire till you receive orders."

A low deep sigh came from Ned, but it was accompanied by a faint "click--click; click--click."

"Both barrels at full c.o.c.k," thought the lad. "But how horrible to have to fire at any one, even if he is black."

But all the same, horrible or no, the lad c.o.c.ked both locks of his own piece, and felt the flap of his cartridge satchel to try whether everything was handy if he had to reload; and just then, as they glided silently along in the full glare of the great artificial star, a feeling of angry resentment ran through him, and he said half aloud--

"Serve them right. Why can't they leave us alone?"

"And so say all of us, Mr Jack," whispered Ned, startling him he addressed, for he was not aware that his words were heard.

The only sounds to be heard now were the regular heavy boom of the breakers on the reef--a sound so deep and constant that it had already begun to count as nothing, and curiously enough did not seem to interfere with their hearing anything else, acting as it did like the deep ba.s.s in an orchestra or great organ, and making the lighter, higher-pitched notes more clear--and the light soft dip of the boat's oars as the men silently pulled home.

Then, all at once, as Jack strained his ears to catch the paddling of the canoes, the deep voice of Captain Bradleigh rang out as if from the other side of the yacht.

"Ahoy! What boat's that?"

Then in the midst of a dead silence there was a quick flash, and Jack held his breath, expecting to hear the report of a gun, but his eyes conveyed the meaning of the flash, not his ears.

The darkness was profound, for the light from the great star had been shut off in their direction, and directly after the shape of the graceful yacht stood out clearly, every spar and rope defined against a softly diffused halo as the star was made to perform the duties of a search-light, sweeping the lagoon beyond and showing plainly the long low shapes of four great canoes, each with its row of men, and about a quarter of a mile away.

Then all was black as pitch.