were discussing the best method of attack.

"The three younger men belong to the tribe which I lived with," he
said. "The old man sitting between the women is a stranger. I think
he must have come from the north of the island with some of his
friends, attracted by the smoke signals."

"From the north? Is there a road?" asked Courtenay, when he learnt
what Suarez was saying.

"He would arrive in a canoe," was the answer. "The Indians venture out
to sea in very bad weather. He probably passed the ship late last
night, and, now I come to think of it, the canoe which you captured is
not familiar to me, whereas I know by sight every craft owned by the
Feathered People."

"How many do they possess?"

"Twenty-three."

These statements were disconcerting. Not only was it possible for the
natives to surround the _Kansas_ with a whole swarm of men, but the
mere number of their boats would render it exceedingly difficult to
repel a combined assault. And nothing could be more truculent than the
demeanor of the semi-nude warriors. They pointed at each person they
saw on the decks, and made a tremendous row when they passed the canoe
fastened alongside. Despite their keen sight, they evidently did not
recognize Suarez, who now wore a cap and a suit of clothes taken from
the locker of one of the missing stewards, while his appearance was so
altered otherwise that even the people on board found it difficult to
regard him as the monstrous-looking wizard whom they had dragged out of
the water some twelve hours earlier.

The impudence of the Indians exasperated Courtenay. The sheer size of
the _Kansas_ should have awed them, he thought.

"I wish they had left their women behind," he muttered. "If the men
were alone, an ounce or two of buck-shot would soon teach them to keep
their distance."

"Perhaps they are aware of the danger of boarding a ship which stands
so high above the sea as the _Kansas_," said Christobal. "Why not fire
a couple of rounds of blank cartridge at them?"

"Worst thing you can do," said Tollemache.

"But why?"

"They would be sure, then, you could not hurt them. If you shoot,
shoot straight, with the heaviest shot you possess."

At that moment the rowers permitted the canoe to swing round with the
tide. One of the men stood up, and Elsie, who seized the chance of
snap-shotting the party, ran to the upper deck, so she did not overhear
Courtenay's smothered ejaculation. He was scrutiniz