348 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



went away. I asked to be allowed to stay, to do 

 some bird photography. ' ' 



"Yo've only got two weeks' grub in the tent," 

 said Thompson; ''when were they a-goin' to come 

 foryo'l" 



Shan suddenly was struck with a brilliant idea. 



'*In ten days," he said. 



He wondered, as he said it, whether the Feather 

 Man would make his visit that day and if he would 

 see the plume pirates' vessel in the offing. Per- 

 haps he might guess what had happened. But it 

 would be no use for him to land, the odds were too 

 great. 



''What ship is coming for yo'?" asked his 

 captor. 



Not another word would Shan say. 



All that long hot day, Shan lay stretched upon 

 the sand, his wrists roughly bandaged and his 

 feet bound. 



Each hour his hopes beat higher, for he knew 

 that the Feather Man assuredly would not de- 

 sert him. This was the day on which he ought to 

 make the signal smoke. If no smoke were seen, the 

 Feather Man was sure to come and find out what 

 was the matter. If he did not come, to Shan's 

 mind it would be a sure sign that his old friend 



