"I'm going to find out pretty soon," replied Sam. "I'll tell you what I think. I think they are being held for ransom."
"I was thinking of that, too. But I didn't dream of such a thing being done down here although, I know it is done further north in Africa among the Moors and Algerians."
Cujo now went off on another scout and did not return until the sun was setting. Again he was full of smiles.
"I can show you a way up de rocks," he said. "We can get to the walls of um fort, as you call um, without being seen."
Soon night was upon them, for in the tropics there is rarely any twilight. Tom now declared himself able to walk once more, and they moved off silently, like so many shadows, beside the swamp and then over a fallen palm to where a series of rocks, led up to the cliff proper.
"Sh-ah!" came presently from Cujo. "Man ahead!"
They came to a halt, and through the gloom saw a solitary figure sitting on a rock. The sentinel held a gun over his knees and was smoking a cigarette.
"If he sees us he will give the alarm," whispered Tom. "Can't we capture him without making a noise?"
"Dat's de talk," returned Aleck. "Cujo, let us dun try dat trick."
Cujo nodded. "Urn boys stay here," he said. "Cujo fix dat feller!"