ence. In a word, it meant that if those two
fugitives had succeeded in reaching their own island--as we had only too
much reason to believe was the case--we were liable at any moment to an
invasion in force from their fellow islanders; and if we could not repel
that invasion, or, better still, effect our own escape before it
happened, we could hope for nothing short of annihilation. Long and
anxiously we discussed the question that night; and the decision at
which we finally arrived was that if Mokalua and Vati had indeed reached
their own island it would probably take them at least a week to gain the
ear of the chiefs, tell the story of their own sojourn with us, and stir
them up to such a condition of cupidity as would induce them to
undertake an expedition against us. And when they had accomplished so
much it would probably take them another week to organise the expedition
and get across to us, possibly even longer, if the Trade wind continued
to blow strongly. We considered, therefore, that we had about a
fortnight in which to complete our preparations; and the question then
arose whether these preparations should be of a defensive character, or
whether, by working hard, we could complete the schooner, ballast her,
get her into the water, and leave the island before the expected
invasion took place.

Common sense pointed to the latter alternative as by far the wiser of
the two; the only difficulty was that we were by no means sure that we
could accomplish it. Fortunately for us, although we had put the most
implicit faith in the fidelity of Mokalua and Vati, we had never allowed
them to become aware of the existence of the subterranean passage from
our dwelling cave to South-west Bay: therefore, if the worst should come
to the worst, and we were attacked before we were ready to leave the
island, we might no doubt barricade ourselves into our cavern and make a
good stand there, and perhaps even defend the schooner from destruction,
so long as our cartridges held out; but if the invaders should once
succeed in effecting a landing upon the island, they could, almost to a
dead certainty, prevent us from completing our preparations, launching
the schooner, and getting away in her. Finally, the matter seemed to
resolve itself into a fight against time, our aim being to complete the
schooner and sail in her for home before the savages should arrive upon
the scene. In accordance with this arrangement, then, we proceed