When they awoke, to their astonishment, our heroes found woods all round them, composed of a species of mangrove, and a far taller, more spreading tree laden with beautiful, peach-like fruit. The anchor was at once let go, lest the returning tide might drift the old barque once more out to sea.
* * * * *
A council of war was assembled, and it was agreed that unless they could make peace with these savages or save themselves by stratagem of some sort, in all probability they would be unable to hold out many days, and indeed the tragedy might be but a few hours distant.
The wiles of black men, into whose breasts the civilising influence of religion has never entered, are many. In this case they must be met by the stratagems of whites.
To fight for any length of time was impossible. To fight at all was but to invite death in its ugliest form. If fighting, therefore, must take place, it must be a last resource, and to sell their lives as dearly as they could. It was for Peggy that all feared most, and dreadful though the resolve was, Fitzroy determined that she should not fall alive into the hands of those fearful blacks, to be tortured to death, and probably devoured afterwards. Though he said nothing of this to Johnnie, he spoke his mind quietly to the skipper of the Vulture, as well as to Giant Gourmand.
They each pressed his hand. They knew well what he meant. Had they put it in words it would have ran thus: When the worst comes to the worst, the last shot shall be for Peggy McQueen.
* * * * *
Savages are very superstitious, and next morning when they found the Vulture gone—no signs of her anywhere—they must have jumped to the conclusion that the men on board were evil spirits and possessed the power of disappearing whenever they had a mind to. They evidently visited the creek but seldom, or this part of the island was uninhabited, for the whole forenoon passed away without a sign of a savage.
The captain of the Vulture determined, nevertheless, to explore his surroundings. This man had been a blackbirder in his time, and knew all the tricks and the manners of these islanders. The blackbirder is, or was, a man who fitted out a vessel in some Australian harbour, and sailed for these islands, taking the natives off with them, nolentes volentes, to be used as black labourers. These poor labourers are terribly treated, and the blackbirder is a meaner, more despicable wretch than even the slaver.
So after the guns were loaded and every preparation made to repel an attack, he slid over the side and swam on shore.