“Tell us how you happen to be here, and where the yacht is?” Gil asked, as soon as it was possible to speak.
Andy’s story, interspersed as it was with threats against and commentaries upon the voudoos, would require too great a space to be related in his own words; but the substance was as follows:
After the boat had returned to the yacht, and the sailors reported they could find no trace of the missing ones, Captain Mansfield was utterly at a loss to account for the singular disappearance. He knew there were no wild beasts on the island that could have attacked and killed the entire party, therefore it seemed positive the mate and the boys were detained by human beings.
To search for them in the darkness would have been useless, therefore he intended to wait until morning, when he proposed going on shore himself; but the coming of the gale prevented this plan from being carried into effect.
It was absolutely necessary the yacht should be gotten under way, and, in the absence of the mate, equally essential for the safety of all on board, that the captain should remain in command.
Knowing they might be obliged to remain away two or three days, and distressed at the thought of leaving the missing ones to the mercy of those who had probably captured them, Captain Mansfield called for some of the crew to volunteer to go on shore and prosecute a search during his absence.
None of the sailors cared to venture, and then it was that Andy offered his services, which were accepted the more eagerly because of all on board, he could probably accomplish more, owing to the partial acquaintance he had with the natives of this and the adjoining islands.
He took a small amount of food with him, and, in addition, a number of signal rockets with which to make his whereabouts known as soon as it should be possible for the yacht to come in shore again. A revolver and a dozen cartridges, together with a canteen of water, made up the full list of his stores.
It was only after the greatest difficulty that the sailors succeeded in setting him ashore, for the sea began to run high immediately the wind sprang up, and he remained in the thicket near the beach until sunrise, when, almost before he was ready to commence the search, the voudoos’ chant told him where the prisoners were likely to be found.
Creeping cautiously up to where a view of the party could be had, he realized that it would be the height of folly to make an attack single-handed, and remained inactive, fully believing the prisoners were to be killed, until he chanced to think of the signal rockets.