The principal chief, therefore, advanced towards Bumpus with a piece of native cloth tied to the end of his war-club, which he brandished furiously by way of making it plain that his object was not war, but peace! Naturally enough, the seaman misinterpreted the signal, and there is no doubt that he would have planted his knuckles on the bridge of the nose of the swarthy cannibal had not Henry Stuart made use of his extraordinary powers of speed.

He darted forward, overtook Jo, and, grasping him around the neck with both arms, shouted: "It's a flag of truce, man!" "You don't say so ?--well, who'd ha' thought it?
It don't look like one; so it don't." With this remark, Jo subsided into a peaceable man.

Pulling a quid out of his pocket, he thrust it into his cheek, and, crossing his arms on his breast, listened patiently--though not profitably, seeing that he did not understand a word--to the dialogue that followed.
It will be remembered that poor Mr.Mason, after being saved by Henry, was taken into the gig of the Talisman and put ashore.

After the two vessels had disappeared, as has been already described, Henry at once led his party towards the native village, knowing that Ole Thorwald would require support, all the more that the ship had failed to fulfil her part in the combined movement.
As the almost heartbroken father had no power to render further aid to his lost child, he suffered himself to be led, in a half-bewildered state, along with the attacking party under his young friend.

He was now brought forward to parley with the native chief.
The missionary's manner and aspect at once changed.