Presently a dusky face appeared, peeping at us from a lofty rock; it vanished, and we saw another peeping at us from lower down. Then, again, the skiff put out as though to make a further reconnoiter. All, even Jack, looked anxious, and glanced at me for orders.
"Hoist a white flag," said I, "and hand me the speaking trumpet."
I seized the instrument and uttered such peaceable words in the Malay language as I could recall; neither the flag nor my words seemed to produce any effect, and the savage was about to return to the shore.
Jack hereupon lost patience, and in his turn took up the trumpet.
"Come here, you black son of a gun," he exclaimed. "Come on board and make friends, or we'll blow you and your—"
"Stop! stop! you foolish boy," I said; "you will but alarm the man, with your wild words and gestures."
"No! but see," he cried, "he is paddling toward us!"
And sure enough the canoe was rapidly approaching.
Presently a cry from Franz alarmed me. "Look! look!" he shrieked, "the villain is in Fritz's cajack. I can see the walrus head."
Ernest alone remained unmoved. He took the speaking trumpet: