“Haven’t we got enough for breakfast without your leaving us?” Nelse asked.
“No; our appetites were too good last night for anything to be left over from the small amount we managed to get from the niggers. We can——”
“Bress de Lawd!” Andy shouted, in a loud tone, from a distance, and, as the little party ran in the direction indicated, they heard him cry:
“De hull bilin’ ob dem debbils am makin’ fur de odder islan’ as fas’ as dey kin row. De rockets done gone did it!” Hardly daring to believe the good news, Jenkins and the boys kept on at full speed until they were at the beach, where a view of the sea to the westward could be had, and then their excitement was little less than that displayed by the old darky.
Far away on the water were three boats, one of them probably the Day Dream’s tender, loaded with men, who were working at the oars vigorously, and there was no longer any question but that their enemies had been literally frightened away.
“De fiery sarpents was too much for dem!” Andy cried, triumphantly, as he went through with a series of contortions, evidently intended as a dance of joy. “We’se done gone got de hull islan’ fur ourselbes.”
“It isn’t well to show them that we are nothing more than men,” Jenkins said, as he pulled the old darky into the thicket. “If they get an idea it was only a trick, we may have our hands full before the yacht can come up the coast. The boys and I will go for something to eat, while you keep them in sight until they land on Hayti. Keep just inside the thicket so you can’t be seen.”
Andy threw off the burden, for the rockets were useless, now the blacks had abandoned the island, and obeyed the order given, while the others went toward the northern coast, where they would be screened from view of those in the boats.
Here plenty of shell fish were found, and before the old darky returned a most appetizing breakfast had been cooked.
His report was decidedly encouraging. He had seen the blacks land on the adjoining island, and watched the boats sufficiently long to assure himself that there was no danger of an immediate return.