"Whoop! la whoop!" yelled the Indians, dancing about in eccentric circles.
Twinkle fell on his knees, and clasping his hands begged for mercy.
"Oh! good, kind gentlemen!" he said. "Have pity on a poor Englishman far away from home, who only came out here in the interest of science."
"Ugh! take scalp, want heap scalp to put in wigwam," replied an Indian.
"I've very little hair, sir; it is scarcely worth taking."
"My white brother is a squaw, he has the heart of a dog; the pale-face is a coward; ugh! I have spoken."
Captain Cannon and Mr. Mole followed Twinkle's example and sunk on their knees.
They looked very comical in this undignified position.
The Indians stood over them, each selecting his victim and threatening him with a tomahawk in one hand and the scalping-knife in the other.
Jack knocked off the professor's hat and making a rapid circle with his knife, lifted the wig.