CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
HOW I NEARLY HAD AN ARROW TO DRINK.
We were soon on the way towards the interior again, and the doctor and I had set to work trying to obtain some information from Ti-hi, and also from Aroo, another intelligent looking follower who had been one of the prisoners made by the captain of the burnt schooner.
It was hard work, but we were daily getting to understand more and more of the commoner words of conversation, and by degrees we managed to make out that the reason why we had not come upon any native village was that the nearest was still many days' journey distant, but that if we changed our course and went down to the sea-shore we should soon find signs of occupation.
But I felt that this would be of no use, for if my father had been anywhere on the coast he must have come in contact sooner or later with one or other of the trading vessels, whose captains, even if they could not bring him away on account of his being a prisoner, would certainly have reported somewhere that they had seen a white captive, and the news must have spread.
"He must be right in the interior somewhere," I said; "and I'm sure we can't do better than keep on." "I think you are right, Joe," said the doctor thoughtfully.
"I feel sure I am," I said.

"I don't expect to find him directly; but I mean to go on trying till I do." "That's the way to find anybody," said Jack Penny.

"You're sure to find 'em if you keep on like that.

Come along." Jack went off; taking great strides as if he expected to be successful at once; but he did not keep up the pace long, but hung back for me to overtake him, saying: "I say, Joe Carstairs; does your back ever ache much ?" "No," I said; "very little.

Only when I'm very tired." "Ah! you ain't got so much back as I have," he said, shaking his head.
"When you've got as much as I have you'll have the back-ache awfully, like I do.