"Never go napping on dooty, Ephraim; which I mean to say we "ll have to take watch and watch to-night, gentlemen. What with cannibals and them big hermit crabs and other vermin, "twouldn"t be safe for us all to have our peepers shut."
"Very true, Grinson," said Trentham. "The boat"s rather exposed: you had better choose a spot on the beach where we can shelter for the night.
There are some rocks yonder that look promising. Then we "ll arrange about watching."
Grinson and Meek went off together; the others meanwhile strolled up and down, discussing plans for the morrow.
"We "re so badly off," said Trentham. "You "ve luckily got your revolver; any spare cartridges?"
"A score or so."
"I "ve only a penknife, worse luck. Grinson has a long knife, and Meek, no doubt, has a knife of some sort; but three knives and a revolver won"t enable us to put up much of a fight if we really do come across any cannibals."
"And I guess that fountain pens and pocket books won"t be much good. We couldn"t patch up the boat?"
"Without tools? Besides, I shouldn"t care to risk a voyage. We may have a chance of reaching some settlement overland, and I dare say could pick up some food; but on the sea we might drift for weeks, even if we could exist on our few biscuits and little water."
"Well, old man, we "ll get what sleep we can and try the chimney in the morning. The sky promises fair weather, anyway; did you ever see such a splendid sunset?"
They were facing west, and beyond the headland the sun, a gorgeous ball of fire, was casting a blood-red glow on the scarcely rippling sea. On the cliffs the leaves of the palms were edged with crimson, and flickered like flames as they were gently stirred by the breeze. The two friends stood side by side, silently watching the magnificent panorama. Suddenly Hoole caught Trentham by the arm, and pulled him down behind a rock.
"My sakes!" he exclaimed under his breath. "D" you see people moving between the wreck and the cliff?"
Trentham took off his hat and peered cautiously over the rocks.
"You "re right," he said. "It"s not easy to make "em out; they "re in the shadow of the headland; we "re a good mile away, I fancy. They can"t see us at present, but we had better warn the others; the sun as it moves round will strike us presently."
They returned to the spot which Grinson had selected for their camping place--a s.p.a.ce of clear sand protected on one side by a group of rocks and on the other by a clump of bushes spreading from the base of the cliffs. Meek had already brought up their scanty stores from the boat; Grinson had stripped off his jersey and shirt.
"If you "ll take my advice, gentlemen," he said, "you "ll swill the sticky off--you "ll sleep all the better for it. Bathing all in I wouldn"t advise, in case of sharks."
"Shall we get any sleep, I wonder?" said Trentham. "There are men on the beach, Grinson."
"Men, sir?"
"Cannibals!" murmured Meek.
"We saw figures moving between the wreck and the cliff."
"Holy poker!" exclaimed the boatswain, rapidly drawing on his shirt.
Trentham noticed momentarily the figure of a bird tattooed on his upper left arm. "Hope they don"t come this way."
"Why shouldn"t we take the bull by the horns and go _their_ way?" said Hoole. "I "ll tackle "em, if you like. You don"t know but we "d make friends of them."
"Not by no manner of means, sir, I beg you," said Grinson. "The New Guinea savages are the fiercest in creation; Ephraim can bear me out; cunning as the devil, and that treacherous. The tales I could tell! But I wouldn"t freeze your blood, not for the world; all I say is, keep out of their clutches."
"Where can we hide, if so be they come this way?" faltered Meek.
"There "s nothing to bring them along this bare beach," said Trentham.
"They won"t see us if we remain here; I doubt whether they "ll even see the boat. No doubt they "ll be gone by the morning."
"Just so," said Hoole. "Still, we "ve got to meet them some time, probably----"
"Better by daylight, sir," said Grinson. "Wild beasts and savages are always most fearsome at night. I say, lay low."
"As low as you can," Meek added.
The glow of sunset faded, and in the deepening shade the figures were no longer visible. The four men sat in their shelter, talking in undertones, none of them disposed to sleep. For a while only the slow tumbling surf bore a murmurous counterpoint to their voices. All at once a dull boom struck upon their ears. It was not the explosive boom of a gun, but a deep prolonged note. Soon it was followed by a similar sound, at a slightly higher pitch, and the two notes alternated at regular intervals.
"Drums, by the powers!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Grinson. ""Tis a dance, or a feast, or both."
"A mighty slow dance," said Hoole. "I "d fall asleep between the steps."
But even as he spoke the sounds became louder and more rapid, and presently in the midst of the now continuous booming a voice was heard, chanting in monotone. Into this broke a deeper growling note as from many voices in unison, and after the song and accompaniment had continued for some time with ever-increasing vigour and volume, they came to a sudden end in a short series of strident barks, half smothered by the clamour of the drums.
The four men had risen, and leaning on the rocks, with their faces towards the sounds, had listened to the strange chorus.
"It"s extraordinarily thrilling," said Trentham. "I "d never have believed that drums could make such music."
"It trickles down my spine," Hoole confessed. "And they "re pretty nearly a mile away. What must it be on the spot? Say, if they start again, shall we creep along and see?"
"I "m game. Look! They "ve lit a fire. There"s some ceremony on hand--not a thing to be missed."
"Which means a feast, sir," said Grinson. "If you ask me, I say don"t go. It "ll turn your blood."
"Special if "tis a man they eat," said Meek.
"You two stay home; Mr. Trentham and I will go," said Hoole. "The rocks and scrub will give plenty of cover; besides, the feasters will be busy.
We "ll be unseen spectators in the gallery."
Heedless of the further expostulations of the seamen, Trentham and Hoole set off, and keeping well under the shadow of the cliffs, tramped rapidly towards the growing blaze. As they drew nearer to it, they moved with greater caution, careful not to come directly within the glow. The drums recommenced their slow tapping, and when the white men arrived at a spot where, screened by the bushes, they could see unseen, the dance had just begun.
The fire was kindled on a clear s.p.a.ce between the wreck and the vegetation that clothed the foot of the cliffs. Beyond it, nearer the vessel, about twenty natives were stamping in time with the two drums, placed at one end of the line. They were men of average height, well built, but rather thin in the legs, wearing fantastic head-dresses, bone or coral necklaces and armlets, and scanty loin-cloths. The watchers were at once struck by certain differences in the types of feature. All the savages were a dull black in colour, except where they had painted their skins white or red, but while the majority had wide bridgeless noses and frizzy hair, there were some whose noses were arched, and whose hair, though curled, was neither stiff nor bushy. Every face was disfigured by a long skewer of bone pa.s.sed through the nose.
The dance was disappointing. The men did little more than stamp up and down, swaying a little now and then, stepping a pace or two forward or backward, shaking their spears, and emitting a grunt. There was no excitement, no crescendo of martial fury.
"A very tame performance!" whispered Hoole.
But Trentham was no longer watching the dance. Beyond the dancers, only occasionally visible as they moved, there was something that had fixed his attention. He could not quite determine what it was, but a suspicion was troubling him. Between the swaying figures there appeared, now and again, a whitish object partially obscured by bush, and barely within the circle of light from the fire. It was motionless, but the fugitive glimpses that Trentham caught of it made him more and more uneasy.
"You see that white thing?" he whispered, taking Hoole by the arm.
"Yep! What of it?"
Trentham pressed his arm more closely. The dancers had moved a little farther apart, and for the first time the object behind them was completely outlined.
"By gum, it"s a man!" murmured Hoole.
"And a white man!" added Trentham. "I was afraid so."