The pigs, apparently fascinated, remained motionless. Jack speedily recovered, and re-charged his rifle, and within a couple of seconds as many more pigs fell to the shots of the sportsmen. Thus brought to a sense of their own imminent danger, the remaining animals dashed off into the thick woods and disappeared.
With their spoils of the fight both men returned to camp. Mr. Statten had heard the firing, yet felt that as no one sang out for assistance nothing need be feared; but he mustered all the Chinamen, and made ready to repel a possible native attack.
All hands were agreeably surprised by the arrival of so much fresh food, and with the tough old boar, as their share of the meat the pigtails hastened back to their quarters to enjoy a good meal.
It was almost dark before Mr. Sennit with the long-boat returned to camp; but of Captain Thorne and his party no information was forthcoming.
'I've seen nothing of them all day,' the mate said. 'Perhaps there are natives on the island,' Mr. Statten observed. 'The captain may have been lured into some trap.'
'Well, I thought he had returned,' the mate replied. 'We cannot leave him adrift all night. Come along, some of you, and let us discover the truth. Don't forget your guns, boys.'
Everyone in camp wished to join him, but taking Readyman, Jack Clewlin, and one hand, he immediately set out on the trail of the missing men. By the time that they had covered a quarter of a mile the darkness rendered progress difficult. In spite of that, however, Mr. Sennit led the way, and the almost invisible track began to ascend. Still advancing, they came out suddenly on the summit of a high ridge, and in the opposite valley heard the discharge of a rifle.
'That comes from the captain!' Mr. Sennit exclaimed. 'We'll soon find out what may be wrong.'
He discharged his piece to announce the proximity of friends, and then casting about for some trace of the path, discovered that it took a sharp easterly turn, and finally went downward over the ridge.
'It seems almost madness to follow it in the dark,' the mate said. 'Anyhow, where they went safely we can chance a slight fall. Let us rope ourselves together, and Clewlin, being the lightest, must take the lead.'