In the midst of all those trials they had, at least, been free from anxiety on account of those in New Switzerland! Whereas, now, they had found the island in the power of a horde of natives, and did not know what had become of their relatives and friends; but had good ground for fearing that they might all have perished in a massacre!
Slowly the day wore on. Every now and then one or other of them, generally Fritz and the boatswain, climbed up among the branches of the mangrove in order to search the country and the sea. What they were most anxious to ascertain was whether the savages were still in the neighbourhood of Falconhurst, or had gone back to Rock Castle.
But they could see nothing, except, towards the south, near the mouth of Jackal River, the little column of smoke rising above the rocks.
Up to four o’clock in the afternoon nothing happened to change the situation. A meal was prepared from the stores in the house.
When Frank and John Block came back they might all have to set out for Sugar-cane Grove, and that would be a long march.
Suddenly a report was heard.
“What is that?” Jenny exclaimed, and Fritz drew her back as she was hastening to one of the windows.
“Could it have been a gun?” Frank asked.
“It was a gun!” the boatswain exclaimed.
“But who fired it?” Fritz said.