“Pleasant place, this,” remarked Ned.
“It looks so,” agreed Tom. “I hope we find nothing wrong and can soon be on our way again. We have lost a lot of time.”
“And we’re likely to lose something else, too!” suddenly exclaimed Hartman, as the craft came to a stop at the entrance to a natural harbor on one side of the large island.
“What’s the matter?” asked Tom, who was shutting off the motors.
“Look!” exclaimed the mechanic, and as he pointed ahead Tom and his friends saw, swarming toward them, a number of long, low boats, filled with savage warriors who set up a hideous howling.
“Malay pirates!” cried Tom, recognizing the natives. “We’ll have a hornet’s nest about our ears in a minute! Malay pirates!”
On came the savages chanting a war song to keep time with the flashing paddles as they urged their boats toward the floating aeroplane.
CHAPTER XXI
AMONG THE HEAD-HUNTERS
“What shall we do, Tom?” exclaimed Ned, as he stood beside his chum, regarding the pirate flotilla. “Going to fight? Better turn on the ammonia tubes! Let’s get out the machine gun!” One of these weapons had been brought along. “We can stand them off!” and Ned started back to the rear of the cabin where the weapons were kept.
“Wait a minute!” ordered Tom Swift. “I don’t believe we’d better shoot, Ned!”