"I know not.Perhaps they will kill me; but," he added, looking at Jack with a peculiar smile, "I too am not afraid to die in a good cause!""But how are we to get hold of Avatea?" inquired Jack.
"I have arranged with her to meet us at a particular spot, to which I will guide you to-night.We shall then arrange about it.She will easily manage to elude her keepers, who are not very strict in watching her, thinking it impossible that she could escape from the island.Indeed, I am sure that such an idea will never enter their heads.But, as I have said, you run great danger.Fifty miles in a small canoe, on the open sea, is a great voyage to make.You may miss the island, too, in which case there is no other in that direction for a hundred miles or more; and if you lose your way and fall among other heathens, you know the law of Feejee - a cast-away who gains the shore is doomed to die.You must count the cost, my young friend.""I have counted it," replied Jack."If Avatea consents to run the risk, most certainly I will; and so will my comrades also.
Besides," added Jack, looking seriously into the teacher's face, "your Bible, - OUR Bible, tells of ONE who delivers those who call on Him in the time of trouble; who holds the winds in his fists and the waters in the hollow of his hand."We now set about active preparations for the intended voyage;collected together such things as we should require, and laid out on the deck provisions sufficient to maintain us for several weeks, purposing to load the canoe with as much as she could hold consistently with speed and safety.These we covered with a tarpaulin, intending to convey them to the canoe only a few hours before starting.When night spread her sable curtain over the scene, we prepared to land; but, first, kneeling along with the natives and the teacher, the latter implored a blessing on our enterprise.Then we rowed quietly to the shore and followed our sable guide, who led us by a long detour, in order to avoid the village, to the place of rendezvous.We had not stood more than five minutes under the gloomy shade of the thick foliage when a dark figure glided noiselessly up to us.
"Ah! here you are," said Jack, as Avatea approached."Now, then, tell her what we've come about, and don't waste time.""I understan' leetl English," said Avatea, in a low voice.
"Why, where did you pick up English?" exclaimed Jack, in amazement;"you were dumb as a stone when I saw you last.""She has learned all she knows of it from me," said the teacher, "since she came to the island."We now gave Avatea a full explanation of our plans, entering into all the details, and concealing none of the danger, so that she might be fully aware of the risk she ran.As we had anticipated, she was too glad of the opportunity thus afforded her to escape from her persecutors to think of the danger or risk.
"Then you're willing to go with us, are you?" said Jack.
"Yis, I am willing to go."
"And you're not afraid to trust yourself out on the deep sea so far?""No, I not 'fraid to go.Safe with Christian."After some further consultation, the teacher suggested that it was time to return, so we bade Avatea good night, and having appointed to meet at the cliff where the canoe lay, on the following night, just after dark, we hastened away - we to row on board the schooner with muffled oars - Avatea to glide back to her prison-hut among the Mango savages.
