AMONG THE CANNIBALS 109 



falsely he could not look me in the face like that no 

 native can.' 



At this the captain seemed bothered and nervous. 



* We'll start at once,' he said, jumping up. 



* Now sit down, captain, and let me have my say,' 

 I replied. ' If you go at once all those forty fellows 

 will jump overboard ; they have come to eat us, not to 

 recruit, and if they jump, how many will the two boats 

 pick up? A dozen, perhaps. Sharks, you say what 

 do these men care for s\harks? They can be on the 

 reef in ten minutes. They are sharks themselves 

 land sharks. We are to get twenty more this after- 

 noon, and twenty to-morrow, that's eighty. You just 

 wait a day, Skip." 



' No, I won't. I'm off. I'll not trust these demons ; 

 the eighty may rise what could six whites do among 

 such a mob? ' 



' Well, then, if you won't stop, you won't. Now 

 haul up your anchor, and throw over your kedge made 

 fast to a coir rope ; there is little or no wind, any- 

 thing will hold her this weather ; then if you will go. 

 At three in the morning the kedge can come up with- 

 out any noise, with the aid of the whites only, and we 

 can slip out, with the land breeze, under jib alone. 

 But arm the whites and boat -boys. We may have 

 an ugly rush at sun-up. I'll warn the Obas, and 

 we'll see what the roast pig brings forth this evening.' 



* By Jove ! G ,' said the captain, * you are as 



wise as the serpent, if not altogether as harmless as 

 a well, blessed dove. Your plan is splendid, and I'll 

 do it.' 



In two minutes afterwards the order was, ' Up 

 anchor,' and ' Out kedge,' and as the chorus of our 



