“But suppose papa has been detained longer than he expected with Mr Hilton, and returns to the settlement. If so, we may see him and reach his canoe,” said Maud. She always called my father papa.
This idea of Maud’s gave me new hope, and then I thought how sad must be our meeting when I should have to tell him of our mother’s death.
Our chief want in our cavern was water; but Maud managed, by creeping under the bushes, where she was sure she could not be seen, to reach a pool filled by the never ceasing spray from the cascade. I entreated her, however, not to go out often, for I was afraid of her foot slipping, or, notwithstanding her assertion, that some native passing over the mountain above us might catch a glimpse of her. She agreed, therefore, to wait till just after dawn, when no one was likely to be at so great a distance from any habitation. She went out one morning to fill the gourd, which held our store of water, and when she came back she told me that she had seen a person looking down towards her from a point a long way up above the top of the waterfall.
“I did not stop to look a second time,” she said, “but, crouching down, crept back, in the hopes that he might not have discovered me.”
This circumstance caused us great alarm; still we hoped that even had any one seen her, he might not be able to discover the entrance to our cavern.
“Perhaps the person I saw may have been Tofa, or the young Englishman,” exclaimed Maud, as if the thought had suddenly struck her. “They would naturally come to look for us, especially should they know that any of our friends had been discovered by the heathens, and they might assist us greatly.”
“I trust that our friends have escaped,” I said. “Though it seems strange that they should be so long in returning to us, and as Tofa and the young Englishman are strangers, I would rather trust myself to those whose fidelity has been well tried.”
“Oh, but I am sure that the Englishman would defend us with his life,” said Maud. “I was struck by the good expression of his countenance, and the way he behaved during the few moments we saw him. I do trust that he has escaped, and I long to know who he is, for I am sure that he is not a common sailor.”
In this I agreed with Maud: indeed, had I not known that it is imprudent to trust strangers, I should have been very thankful to obtain his assistance. Although he might be the person Maud had soon, we knew that it would be very unwise to venture out of our concealment.
“Still I should like to try and look out through the brushwood, and then should we see him approaching, and be sure that it is him, we might make ourselves known,” said Maud.