Riowag walked a few steps further and then stopped.
"It is here," he said, "where you reached land; your bark must be anchored near by. I am a professional night warrior, and am able to see through the dark, but I can not distinguish your bark."
"Oh! You deceived us! You deceived us!" murmured Elwig in a subdued voice. "You will die for it!"
"It may be," I observed, "that, after having waited for me in vain, the bark may have just left its anchorage. The wind will carry my voice far; I shall call."
Saying this I raised our battle cry of rally, well known to Douarnek.
Only the sound of the waves made answer.
Doubtlessly Douarnek had followed my orders and rowed back to camp at sunset.
I uttered our war cry a second time and louder than the first.
Again the only response was the rushing of the waves.
Meaning to gain time and prepare myself for defense, I said to Elwig: "The wind blows off shore; it carries my voice to the river; but it blows back the voices that may have answered my signal. Let us listen!"