The reader will have seen that Alvarez had made no mistake. No Englishman worthy of the name would have done ought else than succour a derelict man, and the Spaniard, having a specious story, was able to ingratiate himself. With the result that the disc was gone, and our hero, the giant crossbow-man and lieutenant, lay fretting in the forest, chained by stronger links than were ever worn by a prisoner.
A week later Roger was able to rise, while within ten days he could walk. Then, too, the wound was healed, thanks to the attention of Tamba. Meanwhile, nothing had been seen of the brigantine.
"You say that you have seen the Spaniard in the offing, and nearer in once or twice," said Roger, thoughtfully, as he and the native crouched over the fire which burned at the foot of one of the trees. "Then I fear that the coast is being patrolled, and that our friends are unable to return. Did you hear firing on that day when Alvarez struck me?"
"None. Not a gun, my lord. I saw the brigantine away at sea, and two galleons after her; but there was no fighting."
"Then Sir Thomas practised the old ruse," said Roger. "He doubled back at night, and I have little doubt sailed towards the land. But finding it patrolled, he sheered off again, and sailed right away, with the intention of returning. He will do that if he is allowed to, and in case we are gone, we will place a mark or a letter on the shore. Let us wait for three weeks, and then we will march. Now tell me of these natives you have seen."
Tamba had, in fact, seen some strange natives on the far side of the forest, and hastened to speak of them.
"They are tall, well clothed, and have straight black hair, such as I have," he said. "They were in a body, some forty strong, and I think that they were hunting. But I did not approach nearer, for the forest goes very far, and it was past noon."
"Then let us make an expedition there when we have put our mark up on the shore," said Roger. "We will take three days over it, and return here again. It will be a good chance for me to test my strength."
On the following morning they went down to the beach, and there, having stripped a large piece of bark from a tree, Roger, who had learned to write—a very unusual accomplishment in those days—cut letters upon it. "We are well, and await your return," he said. "We are going into the country for three days from this, and shall be back in case you come."
"There!" he added, showing it to Tamba. "There is no date, for the simple reason that I don't know what month it is, nor the day of the month; but if they come they can, and will, wait for three days. Now we will go. Let us take our crossbow and our other weapons, for these natives may prove unfriendly. Food we can get on the way, for the forest will be full of fruit."