I rubbed my eyes for a moment, as I at first thought it might be fancy, and then whispered to Jim to look in the same direction and then tell me what he saw.
“Savages,” he answered, “no doubt about that.”
“Then we must rouse up the rest and be prepared for them,” I said.
We ran on among the trees, to which we were close, hoping that we hadn’t been seen. Still I thought that the savages must know that we were on the island. We didn’t like to abandon our pot, though we spilled some of the water as we hurried along. Our friends were still fast asleep.
“Mr Griffiths! Dr Cockle! The savages have landed and are on the hill out there,” Jim and I cried out.
They started to their feet in a moment, and Jack and the rest of the men jumped up on hearing our voices. The mate seemed satisfied that what we said was true.
“Then, lads,” he said, “we will launch the boat at once; we must at all events avoid a fight, and we can’t tell how they’ll behave if we remain.”
Jack was about the most eager to get the boat in the water, and Horner looked not a little frightened. We soon had her afloat, and then as quickly as we could, running backwards and forwards, put the cargo on board.
The doctor and mate were still on shore, seeing that nothing had been left behind, when loud shrieks reached our ears, and a score or more of tattooed savages, flourishing their war clubs, burst out of the grove and rushed towards us.
“Quick, doctor,” cried the mate. “Get on board, and I’ll follow you.”