"The girl's more'n likely dead long ago," said the other.
"Sure she is," returned Red Sanders, "an' if we go buttin'
into that there thicket we'll be dead too.Ugh! Poor Miller.
Poor Swenson.It's orful.Did you see wot they done to 'em beside cuttin' off their heads?""Yes," whispered Wison, looking suddenly behind him.
Red Sanders gave a little start, peering in the direction that his companion had looked.
"Wot was it?" he whimpered."Wot did you do that fer?""I thought I seen something move there," replied Wison.
"Fer Gawd's sake let's get outen this," and without waiting for a word of assent from his companion the sailor turned and ran at breakneck speed along the little path toward the spot where Divine, Blanco, and Bony Sawyer were stationed.
When they arrived Bony was just on the point of setting out for the spring to fetch water, but at sight of the frightened, breathless men he returned to hear their story.
"What's up?" shouted Divine."You men look as though you'd seen a ghost.Where are the others?""They're all murdered, and their heads cut off," cried Red Sanders."We found the bunch that got Miller, Swenson, and the girl.They'd killed 'em all and was eatin' of 'em when we jumps 'em.Before we knew wot had happened about a thousand more of the devils came runnin' up.They got us separated, and when we seen Theriere and Byrne kilt we jest natch'rally beat it.Gawd, but it was orful.""Do you think they will follow you?" asked Divine.
At the suggestion every head turned toward the trail down which the two panic-stricken men had just come.At the same moment a hoarse shout arose from the cove below and the five looked down to see a scene of wild activity upon the beach.The defection of Theriere's party had been discovered, as well as the absence of the girl and the theft of the provisions.
Skipper Simms was dancing about like a madman.His bellowed oaths rolled up the cliffs like thunder.Presently Ward caught a glimpse of the men at the top of the cliff above him.
"There they are!" he cried.
Skipper Simms looked up.
"The swabs!" he shrieked."A-stealin' of our grub, an'
abductin' of that there pore girl.The swabs! Lemme to 'em, Isay; jest lemme to 'em."
"We'd all better go to 'em," said Ward."We've got a fight on here sure.Gather up some rocks, men, an' come along.
Skipper, you're too fat to do any fightin' on that there hillside, so you better stay here an' let one o' the men take your gun,"for Ward knew so well the mettle of his superior that he much preferred his absence to his presence in the face of real fighting, and with the gun in the hands of a braver man it would be vastly more effective.
Ward himself was no lover of a fight, but he saw now that starvation might stare them in the face with their food gone, and everything be lost with the loss of the girl.For food and money a much more cowardly man than Bender Ward would fight to the death.
Up the face of the cliff they hurried, expecting momentarily to be either challenged or fired upon by those above them.
Divine and his party looked down with mixed emotions upon those who were ascending in so threatening a manner.They found themselves truly between the devil and the deep sea.
Ward and his men were halfway up the cliff, yet Divine had made no move to repel them.He glanced timorously toward the dark forest behind from which he momentarily expected to see the savage, snarling faces of the head-hunters appear.
"Surrender! You swabs," called Ward from below, "or we'll string the last mother's son of you to the yardarm."For reply Blanco hurled a heavy fragment of rock at the assaulters.It grazed perilously close to Ward, against whom Blanco cherished a keen hatred.Instantly Ward's revolver barked, the bullet whistling close by Divine's head.L.
Cortwrite Divine, cotillion leader, ducked behind Theriere's breastwork, where he lay sprawled upon his belly, trembling in terror.
Bony Sawyer and Red Sanders followed the example of their commander.Blanco and Wison alone made any attempt to repel the assault.The big Negro ran to Divine's side and snatched the terror-stricken man's revolver from his belt.Then turning he fired at Ward.The bullet, missing its intended victim, pierced the heart of a sailor directly behind him, and as the man crumpled to the ground, rolling down the steep declivity, his fellows sought cover.
Wison followed up the advantage with a shower of well-aimed missiles, and then hostilities ceased temporarily.
"Have they gone?" queried Divine, with trembling lips, noticing the quiet that followed the shot.
"Gone nothin'," yo big cowahd," replied Blanco."Do yo done suppose dat two men is a-gwine to stan' off five? Ef yo white-livered skunks 'ud git up an' fight we might have a chanct.I'se a good min' to cut out yo cowahdly heart fer yo, das wot I has--a-lyin' der on yo belly settin' dat kin' o'
example to yo men!"
Divine's terror had placed him beyond the reach of contumely or reproach.
"What's the use of fighting them?" he whimpered."We should never have left them.It's all the fault of that fool Theriere.What can we do against the savages of this awful island if we divide our forces? They will pick us off a few at a time just as they picked off Miller and Swenson, Theriere and Byrne.We ought to tell Ward about it, and call this foolish battle off.""Now you're talkin'," cried Bony Sawyer."I'm not a-goin'
