"Hello! what's this?"
"A present—for Aunt Jannet, I should say," laughed Blair. "Some dusky admirer bringing tribute."
"A thankoffering to the wounded warriors," said Evans.
"An unusually fine coco-nut," said Stuart, tipping it with his usable foot. "Carefully wrapped in leaves, too."
Captain Cathie picked it up, and began to open the bundle. Evans struck a match, and match and bundle fell suddenly with a dull, dead bump to the floor, and were followed by a quite involuntary and seamanlike oath from the captain.
"What is it?" cried the younger ladies in a breath.
"Come away!" said Aunt Jannet hastily, and set the example herself.
"It's a man's head," said Evans gravely, as he tried to light a lamp.
And when the lamp was lit, and the bundle lay open in their midst, they saw that he was right—it was the head of a man.
An exclamation burst from Blair as he bent over the ghastly offering, while the others wondered what it might mean.