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Kneeling down, he enjoyed a long, refreshing drink of the clear water, but

as he started to regain his feet a coil of rope was suddenly thrown about

him, pinning his arms to his sides and rendering him absolutely

helpless.

At the same time his ears were saluted with a wild chattering in an

unknown tongue, and he found himself surrounded by a group of natives

of hideous appearance. They were nearly naked, and bore spears and

heavy clubs as their only weapons. Their hair was long, curly, and thick

as bushes, and through their noses and ears were stuck the teeth of

sharks and curious metal ornaments.

These creatures had stolen upon Rob so quietly that he had not heard a

sound, but now they jabbered loudly, as if much excited.

Finally one fat and somewhat aged native, who seemed to be a chief,

came close to Rob and said, in broken English:

How get here?"

I flew," said the boy, with a grin.

The chief shook his head, saying:

No boat come. How white man come?"

Through the air," replied Rob, who was rather flattered at being called a

man."

The chief looked into the air with a puzzled expression and shook his

head again.

White man lie," he said calmly.

Then he held further conversation with his fellows, after which he turned

to Rob and announced:

Me see white man many times. Come in big boats. White man all bad.

Make kill with bang-sticks. We kill white man with club. Then we eat

white man. Dead white man good. Live white man bad!"

This did not please Rob at all. The idea of being eaten by savages had

never occurred to him as a sequel to his adventures. So he said rather

anxiously to the chief.

The Master Key