“Why not?” he retorted. “They must have some intercourse with the outside world. Ships visit every known island, nowadays.”
“I doubt if a ship has ever been here before,” said I. “This isn’t a known island; it’s not on any map or chart or other record. There are plenty of such islands in the South Seas, I suppose. Bryonia and Nux happen to know this place, for their own native island is only about a hundred leagues away; but my father and uncle, who have sailed all the traveled paths in the South Pacific, have never heard of Faytan before.”
Alfonso became silent at this; but he remained on deck, and it was after midnight before our anxiety was satisfied.
Ned’s signal came as a joyful surprise to us, and we hastily threw down the ladders and ropes to assist the fugitives in gaining the deck, in case they were pursued. The mate leaped on board first of all, saying:
“Let down the davits; and lively, too, lads! We’ve got the boats; but Lord only knows what else we’ve brought with us.”
In the hurry that followed no questions were asked. It was better to work first and talk afterward. The davits were swung out and the ropes lowered; but after that it was some time before we got the first signal to haul away, for the men had to carry the heavy boats up the slanting rocks before they could be attached. Pretty soon the longboat came swinging up; then the gig, and finally the cutter. We had lost the fourth boat, the whaler, in launching it in the storm, but all the boats left on the shore of the cove, with their contents, were now secured. We had to work by the light of the stars, which was dim enough; for until the boats and all the men were under shelter we dared not show a light.
Finally three of our men were hoisted over the side moaning with pain. These were tenderly received by their fellows and stowed below, while Bry, the best surgeon on the ship, hurried after to see what could be done for them. When we got Ned into the cabin to spin his yarn we found his left hand covered with a bloodsoaked bandage torn from his shirt, yet he had been working so industriously we had not suspected he was wounded.
“We got to the cove, all right,” he said, “though it were a bitter climb over them sharp rocks. We didn’t wait a minute after gett’n’ thar, but run the boats down the beach into deep water an’ prepared to get away at once. Part of us were still waist deep in the water an’ the others gett’n’ the oars shipped, when without warnin’ a hail of arrers fell among us. It was dark, a’most, but when I glanced at the shore I could see the white sand covered with scores o’ black natives; so I knew our first move was to dig out lively. Yaller Tom were bleedin’ beside me in the water, an’ I had to pull an arrer out’n my own hand afore I could help him; but in a jiffy we were aboard an’ rowin’ like mad. The arrers kept fallin’ ’round us, but didn’t do any more damage, so afore we got out o’ rifle range I let the boys drop oars an’ fire one round into that black line o’ savages. Some of ’em must have dropped, but they never give a whimper; so we rowed on agin an’ soon lost sight of ’em. The waves rolled us ’round some, for the storm left a heavy swell, an’ to keep from grindin’ on the reefs we had to pick our way mighty careful. There ain’t no decent water anywhere near this ship, an’ at first I thought we’d never get the boats to it; but a mile or so north we found an openin’ in the first reef, an’ half a mile or so south o’ here we got through the second reef. We had to keep quiet, for fear the savages had followed us along the shore, so they could drop on us when we tried to land; but they failed to connect. Seen anything of ’em?”
“No,” replied Uncle Naboth. “Who’s hurt, Ned, besides yourself?”
“I guess Yaller Tom is done fer. The arrer’s broke off in his chest an’ he wouldn’t let us pull it out. Nicodemus Brown’s got a splinter through his shoulder, an’ young Dipps got an ugly gash in the leg. That’s the worst o’ the story, although several of us’ll carry scars to remind us of this night’s work.”