to-night," I said.
"Then I must slip out in the darkness and endeavour to fill it."

I then proceeded to relate at length all that I had seen, but kept my
fears to myself, merely impressing upon my little audience the necessity
for staying well within the cavern, out of sight. I did not attempt to
conceal that I quite expected the savages would subject the entire
island to a thorough search, which might possibly extend over three or
four days; but I expressed the opinion that if we could but remain
completely hidden during that time they would depart, rather than waste
further time in hunting for one man--for of course they had seen only
me, and could not possibly know that I had any companions.

"Oh, but this is awful!" exclaimed Mrs Vansittart, when I had finished.
"Just think of what might have happened if you had not come when you
did! Anthea and I were beginning to feel tired and a bit headachy with
sitting so long over this horrid weaving, and so were Lizette and Susie;
and we were all talking about going out for a good long walk just as you
came in. Why, we might all have been captured and carried off--"

The mere contemplation of such a fate, with all that it implied, was too
much for the poor lady, and reduced her to speechlessness.

"You are right," I assented. "Lucky that I turned up in time to prevent
you. As it is, I am afraid that we must regard our boat as lost to us.
The beggars will be sure to see her--indeed, they cannot avoid doing
so--and if they don't take her with them when they go, they will almost
certainly destroy her out of pure spite. But `sufficient unto the day
is the evil thereof'. We must keep our spirits up and our powder dry.
And speaking of powder reminds me that it will only be a reasonable
precaution to open a few boxes of cartridges, and load all our rifles.
By Jove! it was a happy inspiration that prompted me to put them into
the boat. Even then I had a suspicion that they might be useful some
day."

I got out all our weapons and loaded them, filled my pockets with
cartridges, carried the loaded rifles to the outer cavern, where they
would be handy, and then joined Julius, whom I found lying prone, rifle
in hand, maintaining a careful watch on the ledge, which, so far as we
knew, was the only possible approach to our cavern. The boy informed me
that thus far he had seen nothing of the savages, at which piece of
information I scarcely knew whether to be glad or sorry.