He found Harold Seadrift and Disco Lillihammer in the hut, somewhat impatient of his prolonged absence, and a dozen of his men looking rather suspiciously at the strangers.
“Is all ready, Moosa?” he inquired of a powerful man, half-Portuguese, half-negro in appearance, who met him outside the door of the hut.
“All ready,” replied the half-caste, in a gruff tone of voice, “but what are you going to do with these English brutes?”
“Take them with us, of course,” replied Yoosoof.
“For what end?”
“For our own safety. Why, don’t you see, Moosa, that if we had set them free, they might have discovered the town and given information to the cruiser about us, which would have been awkward? We might now, indeed, set them free, for the cruiser is gone, but I still have good reason for wishing to take them with me. They think that we have but one boat in this creek, and I should like to make use of them for the purpose of propagating that false idea. I have had the good luck while in the town to find an opportunity of giving one of the sailors of the cruiser a little information as to my movements—some of it true, some of it false—which will perhaps do us a service.”
The Arab smiled slightly as he said this.
“Do these men know our trade?” asked Moosa.
“I think they suspect it,” answered Yoosoof.
“And what if they be not willing to go with us?” demanded Moosa.