“They wouldn’t ha’ touched you, Billy,” whispered Smith, softly. “Too tough.”
“Think they’ll turn back, Mr Rimmer?” said Oliver, after a few minutes’ relief from the mental strain.
“I’m sure they will, sir,” said the mate, harshly, “if you will persist in talking.”
Smith gave his mouth a pat with his open hand, and winked at Wriggs, while the mate went on more softly,—
“You do not consider how sound is carried over the water. There! did you hear the creaking of their bamboo mast and the crackling of the matting sail?”
These sounds were clear enough for a few moments, but the boom of the breakers smothered them directly, and the party lay watching the canoe as it glided on rapidly south till it was quite evident there was no intention of landing, the savages shaping their course so as to pass round the great point a mile or two distant, and as if meaning to make for the west.
Then by degrees the long, slight vessel with its matting sail grew more and more indistinct as it passed into the silvery haze caused by the waves breaking upon the reef; but not until he felt perfectly certain that they were safe, did the mate give the word for the fishing to begin again.
“This puts another face upon our position, gentlemen,” he said. “They did not see us this time, but once they know that there is a vessel ashore inland, they’ll be after it like wasps at a plum, and we shall have our work cut out to keep them off.”
“They must come from the shore north of the volcano,” said Lane. “Don’t you think so, Mr Rimmer?”
“No, sir, I don’t, because I fancy that this must be an island, and if it is, and plays up such games as we have seen, no savages would stay upon it. But we shall see as soon as we have had our expedition.”