"We will have to thresh around the woods at a lively rate, if we want to get away before night."
"We won't hunt for any more than we actually need," answered Tom Dawson. "And Ah Sid will help us, I know," and he explained to the cook what we proposed to do.
"Me catchee blirds very soon," answered Ah Sid, and procured a long, thin switch. With this he entered the forest, and soon brought down several birds, including three pigeons. He would stir them up from the grass, and a lightning-like crack of the switch would finish them.
"Hold hard!" cried Tom Dawson, while we were in the midst of our labors. "Hold hard, somebody is coming!"
We instantly became silent and listened. The first mate was right, three persons were coming through the forest, and they were heading directly for the spot where the boat lay.
