"Have any of your captives ever returned to them?"
"No."
"And have they always killed and eaten your people when they captured them?"
"Yes; and none has ever returned to us. The Korinos would not let us keep the captives, but said that the Great Spirit told them they must be sacrificed."
The foregoing information was sufficient to convince John of one thing, namely, that it was really the spirit of the Korinos which kept up the tribal warfare, at least so far as one end of the conflict was concerned.
In spite of all the arguments advanced by the Chief, John was determined to make the trip with his own people, and thus avoid any feeling on the part of the tribe, against their present friend.
In the morning John called Stut, and advised him to wait until the following day, when he should pull up anchor and proceed to the north for a distance not exceeding twenty miles, and then, seeking a safe anchorage, to await news from him.
With forty of his own trusted men, together with Uraso and Muro, they set out on the march to the north, cheered by the people of the village, who came out to witness their departure. The old man[p. 129] who had been rescued, was still too weak to accompany them, so he was taken to the vessel, where he could receive the best of care and attention.
In order not to be out of touch with the sea, John decided to follow the hills along the eastern side of the island, and this course was selected because the people to which they were going, unlike those at the southern portion of the island, lived in the mountainous region, as heretofore stated, and the probability of meeting them would be much better than if they had followed the level plateau.