Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/261

 OR, VULCAN S PEAK. 21 setting the boat s sail. Unus now evidently look the direc tion of matters on board the Dido. It is probable he ap preciated the effect of the gun and its echp, the first of which he fully comprehended, though the last was as great and as awful a mystery to him, as to any one of his coun trymen. Nevertheless, he imputed the strange and fearful roar of the cliffs to some control of the whites over the power of the hills, and regarded it as a friendly roar, even while he trembled. Not so would it be with his country men, did he well know; they would retire before it; and the signal being given at that instant, the young Indian had no hesitation about the course he ought to take. Unus understood sailing a boat perfectly well. On set ting his sail, he stood on in the Dido until he was obliged to bear up on account of the cliffs. This brought him so close to the rocks as greatly to diminish the chances of being seen. There both wind and current aided his pro gress ; the first drawing round the end of the island, the coast of which it followed in a sort of eddy, for some time, and the latter setting down towards the cove, which was less than two miles from the north bluff. In twenty mi nutes after he had made sail, Unus was entering the secret little harbour, Waally and his fleet being quite out of sight from one as low as the surface of the ocean, still paddling away to the south-west, as hard as they could. Great was the exultation of the colonists, at this escape of Juno s. It even surpassed their happiness at the retreat of their invaders. If the boat were actually unseen, the governor believed the impression was sufficient to keep the savages aloof for a long time, if not for ever ; since they would not fail to ascribe the roar, and the smoke of the volcano, and all the mysteries of the place, to supernatural agencies. If the sail had been seen, however, it was pos sible that, on reflection, their courage might revive, and more would be seen of them. Unus was extolled by every body, and seemed perfectly happy. Peggy communicated his thoughts, which were every way in favour of his new friends. Waally he detested. He denounced him as a ruthless tyrant, and declared he would prefer death to sub mission to his exactions. Juno highly approved of all his sentiments, and was soon known as a sworn friend of