Page:Ballantyne--The Coral Island.djvu/300

 "Well, then," said Jack, "it seems to me that we could not do better than shape our course for the island on which Avatea lives, and endeavor to persuade Tararo to let her marry the black fellow to whom she is engaged, instead of making a long pig of her. If he has a spark of gratitude in him he'll do it. Besides, having become champions for this girl once before, it behooves us, as true knights, not to rest until we set her free; at least, all the heroes in all the story-books I have ever read would count it foul discrace to leave such a work unfinished."

"I'm sure I don't know, or care, what your knights in story-books would do," said Peterkin, "but I'm certain that it would be capitai fun, so 'm your man whenever you want me."

This plan of Jack's was quite in accordance with his romantic, impulsive nature; and, having made up his mind to save this black girl, he could not rest until the thing was commenced.

"But there may be great danger in this attempt," he said at the end of a long consultation on the subject; "will you, lads, go with me in spite of this?"

"Go with you?" we repeated in the same breath.

"Can you doubt it?" said I.

"For a moment," added Peterkin.

I need scarcely say that, having made up our minds to go on this enterprise, we lost no time in making preparations to quit the island; and as the schooner was well laden with stores of every kind for a long cruise, we had little to do except to add to our abundant supply a quantity of cocoa-nuis, breadfruit, taro, yams, plums, and potatoes, chiefly with the view of carrying the fragrance of our dear island along with us as long as we could.