“They came in a sailing sloop,” Bill added. “It landed them and went on down the coast toward South America, but it is coming back in a week or so.”
“But what makes that mean anything to us, beyond the fact that they got here first?” asked Mr. Gray.
“Henry and Mort—if that’s who it was—told the Indians they are the only true medicine men, and they said that men would come soon and pretend to be as great—but they would be evil and undo all the good. And this is the diabolical part of their story—” he paused and bent forward impressively, to add:
“They said that if their medicine did not cure—it is because the evil ones that are coming—us!—are working with devil-medicine!”
“Good grief!” exclaimed Nicky. “That is wicked talk!”
“It has terrified the Indians,” Bill agreed. “And it was only because Tom’s trick with the lighter caught the chief’s fancy and impressed him that he told us. He warned us to go away. He can’t trust us, of course.”
“That does make it hard for us to do anything!” Cliff declared.
“Hard—” Nicky sniffed. “But not impossible—never say die!”
“I won’t,” Tom cried. “But what will we do?”
“Yes,” agreed Cliff, dejectedly, “what?”