Elsie, of course, understood all of this. When Christobal put it into

literal English, Courtenay looked at her. She smiled at his unspoken

thought.

"I am already aware of most of what he is telling us," she said. "It

is very dreadful that such people should exist, but one does not fall

in a faint merely because they cumber the earth. Perhaps you will not

send me away next time, if they try to board the ship again. I can use

a revolver quite well enough to count as one for the defense."

"You are henceforth enrolled as maid-at-arms, Miss Maxwell," said the

captain, lightly. He was by no means surprised at the coolness she

displayed in the face of the new terror. She had given so many proofs

of her natural courage that it must be equal to even so affrighting a

test as the near presence of the Alaculof Indians. But he broke in on

the Spaniard's recital with a question of direct interest.

"Ask him, Christobal, why he said those devils would come again by

daylight."

"Because they have guns, and can use them," was the appalling answer

given by Suarez. "They secured the rifles belonging to my party, and

one of them, who had often seen ship's officers shooting wild geese,

understood the method of loading and aiming. They will not waste the

cartridges on game, but keep them for tribal warfare, and they think a

gun cannot shoot in the dark. To-night they only attempted a surprise,

and made off the moment they were discovered. To-morrow, or next day,

they will swarm round the ship in hundreds, and fire at us with rifles,

bows, and slings. They do most harm with the slings and arrows, as

they hold the gun away from the shoulder, but they can cast a heavy

pebble from a sling quite as far and almost as straight as a revolver

can shoot."

"How do they know the ship will not sail at once?" demanded Courtenay.

Suarez laughed hysterically, with the mirth which is akin to tears,

when the query was explained to him. He looked bizarre enough under

ordinary conditions, but laughter converted him into a fair semblance

of one of those blood-curdling demons which a Japanese artist loves to

depict. Evidently, he depended on make-up to supplement his powers as

a conjurer.

"It is as much as a canoe can manage in fine weather to reach the

island out there, which they call Seal Island," he cried, pointing

towards the locality of White Horse Island. "Even the Indians were

astonished to see so big a ship anchored here safely. They have

watched plenty of wrecks outside, and hardly anything comes ashore. At

any rate, they are quite sure you cannot go back."

It would be idle to deny that the Spaniard's words sent a chill of

apprehension down the spine of some of those present; but the captain

said quietly: "Where a ship is concerned, if she can enter on the flood she can go

out on the ebb. How came you to escape to-night?"




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024