Down they went without accident, and within half an hour Captain Thorne and his party were found.
'One of my men has broken his leg,' the skipper explained. 'We have had to carry him all the afternoon.'
'We only heard your signal after reaching the top of the hill, sir,' Mr. Sennit said.
'Did you discover anything in the long-boat, Sennit?'
'No, sir. The place seems uninhabited.'
'Except for wild pigs, of which there are many,' Captain Thorne returned. 'From certain signs, however, I'm led to think that not long ago the place must have been somewhat thickly dotted with villages. They have all been burned.'
'Probably by native enemies, sir,' the mate said.
'No, Sennit, but by "black-birders" who have stolen the people.'