NEARLYthreeweekshadelapsedsincethesecondvisitofMarnoo，anditmusthavebeenmorethanfourmonthssinceIenteredthevalley，whenoneday，aboutnoon，andwhilsteverythingwasinprofoundsilence，Mow-Mow，theone-eyedchief，suddenlyappearedatthedoor，andleaningforwardstowardsmeasIlaydirectlyfacinghim，said，inalowtone，“Tobypemiena，“Tobyhasarrivedhere。
Graciousheaven！Whatatumultofemotionsrusheduponmeatthisstartlingintelligence！Insensibletothepainthathadbeforedistractedme，Ileapedtomyfeet，andcalledwildlytoKory-Kory，whowasreposingbymyside。Thestartledislanderssprangfromtheirmats；thenewswasquicklycommunicatedtothem；andthenextmomentIwasmakingmywaytotheTionthebackofKory-Kory，andsurroundedbytheexcitedsavages。
AllthatIcouldcomprehendoftheparticularswhichMow-Mowrehearsedtohisauditorsasweproceeded，wasthatmylong-lostcompanionhadarrivedinaboatwhichhadjustenteredthebay。
Thesetidingsmadememostanxioustobecarriedatoncetothesea，lestsomeuntowardcircumstanceshouldpreventourmeeting；buttothistheywouldnotconsent，andcontinuedtheircoursetowardstheroyalabode。Asweapproachedit，Meheviandseveralchiefsshowedthemselvesfromthepiazza，andcalleduponusloudlytocometothem。
Assoonaswehadapproached，IendeavouredtomakethemunderstandthatIwasgoingdowntotheseatomeetToby。Tothisthekingobjected，andmotionedKory-Korytobringmeintothehouse。Itwasinvaintoresist；andinafewmomentsIfoundmyselfwithintheTi，surroundedbyanoisygroupengagedindiscussingtherecentintelligence。Toby’snamewasfrequentlyrepeated，coupledwithviolentexclamationsofastonishment。Itseemedasiftheyyetremainedindoubtwithregardtothefactofhisarrival，andateveryfreshreportthatwasbroughtfromtheshoretheybetrayedtheliveliestemotions。
Almostfrenziedatbeingheldinthisstateofsuspense，I
passionatelybesoughtMehevitopermitmetoproceed。Whethermycompanionhadarrivedornot，Ifeltapresentimentthatmyownfatewasabouttobedecided。AgainandagainIrenewedmypetitiontoMehevi。Heregardedmewithafixedandseriouseye，butatlength，yieldingtomyimportunity，reluctantlygrantedmyrequest。
Accompaniedbysomefiftyofthenatives，Inowrapidlycontinuedmyjourney，everyfewmomentsbeingtransferredfromthebackofonetoanother，andurgingmybearerforwardallthewhilewithearnestentreaties。AsIthushurriedforward，nodoubtastothetruthoftheinformationIhadreceivedevercrossedmymind。Iwasaliveonlytotheoneoverwhelmingidea，thatachanceofdeliverancewasnowaffordedme，ifthejealousoppositionofthesavagescouldbeovercome。
Havingbeenprohibitedfromapproachingtheseaduringthewholeofmystayinthevalley，Ihadalwaysassociatedwithittheideaofescape。Toby，too-ifindeedhehadevervoluntarilydesertedme-
musthaveeffectedhisflightbythesea；andnowthatIwasdrawingneartoitmyself，IindulgedinhopeswhichIhadneverfeltbefore。Itwasevidentthataboathadenteredthebay，andIsawlittlereasontodoubtthetruthofthereportthatithadbroughtmycompanion。Everytime，therefore，thatwegainedanelevation，I
lookedeagerlyaround，hopingtobeholdhim。
Inthemidstofanexcitedthrong，whobytheirviolentgesturesandwildcriesappearedtobeundertheinfluenceofsomeexcitementasstrongasmyown，Iwasnowbornealongatarapidtrot，frequentlystoopingmyheadtoavoidthebrancheswhichcrossedthepath，andneverceasingtoimplorethosewhocarriedmetoacceleratetheiralreadyswiftpace。
Inthismannerwehadproceededaboutfourorfivemiles，whenweweremetbyapartyofsometwentyislanders，betweenwhomandthosewhoaccompaniedmeensuedananimatedconference。Impatientofthedelayoccasionedbythisinterruption，Iwasbeseechingthemanwhocarriedmetoproceedwithouthisloiteringcompanions，whenKory-Kory，runningtomyside，informedme，inthreefatalwords，thatthenewshadallprovedfalse-thatTobyhadnotarrived-“Tobyowleepermi。“Heavenonlyknowshow，thestateofmindandbodythenwas，Ieversustainedtheagonywhichthisintelligencecausedme；notthatthenewswasaltogetherunexpected，butIhadtrustedthatthefactmightnothavebeenmadeknownuntilweshouldhavearriveduponthebeach。Asitwas，Iatonceforesawthecoursethesavageswouldpursue。Theyhadonlyyieldedthusfartomyentreaties，thatImightgiveajoyfulwelcometomylong-lostcomrade；butnowthatitwasknownhehadnotarrived，theywouldatonceobligemetoturnback。
Myanticipationswerebuttoocorrect。InspiteoftheresistanceImade，theycarriedmeintoahousewhichwasnearthespot，andleftmeuponthemats。Shortlyafterwards，severalofthosewhohadaccompaniedmefromtheTi，detachingthemselvesfromtheothers，proceededinthedirectionofthesea。Thosewhoremained-
amongwhomwereMarheyo，Mow-Mow，Kory-Kory，andTinor-gatheredaboutthedwelling，andappearedtobeawaitingtheirreturn。
Thisconvincedmethatstrangers-perhapssomeofmyowncountrymen-hadforsomecauseorotherenteredthebay。Distractedattheideaoftheirvicinity，andrecklessofthepainwhichIsuffered，Iheedednottheassuranceoftheislandersthattherewerenoboatsatthebeach，but，startingtomyfeet，endeavouredtogainthedoor。Instantlythepassagewasblockedupbyseveralmen，whocommandedmetoresumemyseat。ThefiercelooksoftheirritatedsavagesadmonishedmethatIcouldgainnothingbyforce，andthatitwasbyentreatyalonethatIcouldhopetocompassmyobject。
Guidedbythisconsideration，IturnedtoMow-Mow，theonlychiefpresent，whomIhadbeenmuchinthehabitofseeing，and，carefullyconcealingmyrealdesign，triedtomakehimcomprehendthatIstillbelievedTobytohavearrivedontheshore，andbesoughthimtoallowmetogoforwardtowelcomehim。Toallhisrepeatedassertionsthatmycompanionhadnotbeenseen，Ipretendedtoturnadeafear:whileIurgedmysolicitationswithaneloquenceofgesturewhichtheone-eyedchiefappearedunabletoresist。Heseemed，indeed，toregardmeasafrowardchild，towhosewisheshehadnotthehearttoopposeforce，andwhomhemustconsequentlyhumour。Hespokeafewwordstothenatives，whoatonceretreatedfromthedoor，andIimmediatelypassedoutofthehouse。
HereIlookedearnestlyroundforKory-Kory；butthathithertofaithfulservitorwasnowheretobeseen。Unwillingtolingerevenforasingleinstantwheneverymomentmightbesoimportant，Imotionedtoamuscularfellownearmetotakemeuponhisback:tomysurpriseheangrilyrefused。Iturnedtoanother，butwithalikeresult。Athirdattemptwasasunsuccessful，andIimmediatelyperceivedwhathadinducedMow-Mowtograntmyrequest，andwhytheothernativesconductedthemselvesinsostrangeamanner。Itwasevidentthatthechiefhadonlygivenmelibertytocontinuemyprogresstowardsthesea，becausehesupposedthatIwasdeprivedofthemeansofreachingit。
Convincedbythisoftheirdeterminationtoretainmeacaptive，I
becamedesperate；andalmostinsensibletothepainwhichI
suffered，Iseizedaspearwhichwasleaningagainsttheprojectingeavesofthehouse，and，supportingmyselfwithit，resumedthepaththatsweptbythedwelling。Tomysurprise，Iwassufferedtoproceedalone，allthenativesremaininginfrontofthehouse，andengaginginearnestconversation，whicheverymomentbecamemoreloudandvehement；and，tomyunspeakabledelight，Iperceivedthatsomedifferenceofopinionhadarisenbetweenthem；thattwoparties，inshort，wereformed，andconsequentlythat，intheirdividedcounsels，therewassomechanceofmydeliverance。
BeforeIhadproceededahundredyardsIwasagainsurroundedbythesavages，whowerestillinalltheheatofargument，andappearedeverymomentasiftheywouldcometoblows。InthemidstofthistumultoldMarheyocametomyside，andIshallneverforgetthebenevolentexpressionofhiscountenance。Heplacedhisarmuponmyshoulder，andemphaticallypronouncedoneexpressiveEnglishwordI
hadtaughthim-“Home。“Iatonceunderstoodwhathemeant，andeagerlyexpressedmythankstohim。FayawayandKory-Korywerebyhisside，bothweepingviolently；anditwasnotuntiltheoldmanhadtwicerepeatedthecommandthathissoncouldbringhimselftoobeyhim，andtakemeagainuponhisback。Theone-eyedchiefopposedhisdoingso，buthewasoverruled，and，asitseemedtome，bysomeofhisownparty。
Weproceededonwards，andnevershallIforgettheecstasyI
feltwhenIfirstheardtheroarofthesurfbreakinguponthebeach。Beforelong，Isawtheflashingbillowsthemselvesthroughtheopeningbetweenthetrees。Oh！glorioussightandsoundofocean！withwhatrapturedidIhallyouasfamiliarfriends。Bythistimetheshoutsofthecrowduponthebeachweredistinctlyaudible，andintheblendedconfusionofsoundsIalmostfanciedIcoulddistinguishthevoicesofmyowncountrymen。
Whenwereachedtheopenspacewhichlaybetweenthegrovesandthesea，thefirstobjectthatmetmyviewwasanEnglishwhale-boat，lyingwithherbowpointedfromtheshore，andonlyafewfathomsdistantfromit。Itwasmannedbyfiveislanders，dressedinshorttunicsofcalico。Myfirstimpressionwas，thattheywereintheveryactofpullingoutfromthebay；andthat，afterallmyexertions，Ihadcometoolate。Mysoulsankwithinme:butasecondglanceconvincedmethattheboatwasonlyhangingofftokeepoutofthesurf；andthenextmomentIheardmyownnameshoutedoutbyavoicefromthemidstofthecrowd。
Lookinginthedirectionofthesound，Iperceived，tomyindescribablejoy，thetallfigureofKarakoee，anOahuKannaka，whohadoftenbeenaboardtheDollywhileshelayinNukuheva。Heworethegreenshooting-jacket，withgiltbuttons，whichhadbeengiventohimbyanofficeroftheReineBlanche-theFrenchflag-ship-andinwhichIhadalwaysseenhimdressed。InowrememberedtheKannakahadfrequentlytoldmethathispersonwastabooedinallthevalleysoftheisland，andthesightofhimatsuchamomentasthisfilledmyheartwithatumultofdelight。
Karakoeestoodneartheedgeofthewaterwithalargerollofcotton-cloththrownoveronearm，andholdingtwoorthreecanvasbagsofpowder，whilewiththeotherhandhegraspedamusket，whichheappearedtobeprofferingtoseveralofthechiefsaroundhim。Buttheyturnedwithdisgustfromhisoffers，andseemedtobeimpatientathispresence，withvehementgestureswavinghimofftohisboat，andcommandinghimtodepart。