A FRIEND AMONG ENEMIES
The double canoe, with its cumbersome lateen sail and its crew of twenty-odd pirates, had stolen down from somewhere among the Paumotu Islands, and was now gradually approaching the proa which contained Abram Storms and Inez Hawthorne.
The experience of the preceding few years, and especially of the last day or two, had given Mr. Storms an astonishing acuteness, which enabled him often to detect the truth without difficulty. The strong suspicion he now formed was that Fred Sanders was expecting the appearance of the craft, and that he was guiding his own proa in accordance with some prearranged plan. This was an alarming conclusion to reach, but Storms felt hardly a particle of doubt that he was right.
“He intends to betray us, and has intended to do so from the first.”
The New Englander took another look at the double canoe, and he saw, even in the few minutes that had 228 passed, that they were closer together. And now that his suspicions were aroused, he detected several other little things which only confirmed all that had entered his mind. The two islanders who composed the crew were continually glancing off at their brothers, and frequently spoke in low tones, and showed by the gleam of their swarthy faces that they were on the tip-toe of expectation.
From one corner of the lateen sail, Storms now noticed that a large crimson handkerchief was fluttering in the wind.
“It is put there as a signal,” was the decision respecting that, “and doubtless signifies that they have us on board and all is going right.”
Fred Sanders was so occupied with this business that he never once suspected that he himself was being watched in turn.
“Inez,” said the mate, “go to the captain and speak a few words to him.”
“But he is so occupied that he will not wish to be disturbed.”