74 BRINGING MR. TOWNSEND BACK AGAIN. 



with eager eyes. Presently I saw a canoe coming 

 off, dancing on the swell, her paddles dipped first 

 one side and then the other, six Kanakas on her 

 thwarts and a white man in either end. Each 

 white man held up a white flag. 



Full of waggish fun, the old man made ready to 

 wear ship as soon as the canoe approached, and 

 when the Swift came round so as to expose the 

 five bold capitals painted across her stern, one of 

 the white flags went down as if the man in the 

 canoe's prow had suddenly been shot. The man 

 fell flat in the bottom of the canoe, burying his 

 face in his hands. 



He was our man Townsend ! 



The beach-comber brought the canoe alongside, 

 and her crew, Townsend not excepted, clambered 

 on board. 



We shouted with wicked glee. " What'd I tell 

 you," said Old Bowline. " Didn't I tell you you 

 was a blarsted ninny ever to desert ? Now you've 

 got your come-up-ance ! " I called out, " Hoist 

 by your own petard ; hanged on your own 

 gallows; caught by your own flag!" But the 

 captain called us all aft and prepared to lay down 

 the law. 



We stood in a sort of loose ring on the quarter- 

 deck. Townsend faced the captain. Poor truant, 

 he was pale as the ship's courses ! 



