"Give it up. My wits went woolgathering the minute I dropped."
Matt ran to the door of the steel room and tried it. It was locked.
"Hello, out there!" came the voice of Speake. "What's all the excitement about?"
"We've captured the boat back again," replied Matt.
"Hooray!" exulted Clackett. "Let us out, Matt."
"As soon as I find the key." Matt turned to Glennie. "Who did you say had the key?" he asked.
"One of the two who were here with me," said Glennie. "They must have gone up on deck."
Matt sprang to the iron ladder and mounted swiftly to the hatch. The hatch was open and the morning sun was streaming down. The moment he got his head through the opening, he saw a sight that still further increased his alarm.
At least a dozen canoes were in the bay, arranged in a circle at a good safe distance from the Grampus. The boats were constructed of rough planks rudely tied together with the sinews of animals. There were four warriors in each canoe; small, fierce little men wearing cloaks of the sea otter and with faces like those of baboons. The warriors were armed with bows and arrows, and in each canoe the small fighters had their bows in hand with an arrow laid to the string.
Matt recalled what Glennie had said just before Carl made his attack on the Chilian with the harpoon. Evidently this flock of canoes had been in the bay, the warriors intent upon some nefarious expedition, when the Grampus lifted herself to the surface of the water.