"Oh, Dick, what does it mean? How came those two men--I suppose they
_are_ men?--in the canoe; and where have they come from?"
"From one of those islands, away out there to the westward, that we saw
from the summit, without a doubt," answered Dick. "I suspect that they
were caught unawares and blown out to sea by that gale of the day before
yesterday. Once blown fairly away out of the lee of their own island
they would have no choice but to keep their cockle-shell of a canoe dead
before the sea, and to paddle for all they were worth, to avoid being
swamped. I take it that they paddled until they were absolutely
exhausted and could do no more, and then flung themselves down in the
bottom of the canoe and dropped into a kind of lethargy."
"You think that they are still alive, then?" asked Flora.
"I have very little doubt of it," answered Dick. "These South Sea
savages are pretty tough, I believe; and even were they not, it would
take something more than, say, forty hours' exposure, in this climate,
to kill them. Oh yes; they are alive, all right."
"And how will their presence on our island affect us, Dick?" asked the
girl.
That was precisely the question that was worrying Leslie at that moment.
He had no personal knowledge of the native inhabitants of the islands
of the Southern Pacific, but had a vague recollection of having either
heard or read that, while some of them were very gentle and inoffensive,
others were extremely treacherous and ferocious; some of them even being
addicted to cannibalism. He was not, however, going to alarm his
companion unnecessarily, or say anything needlessly to raise her
apprehensions; so he answered, with a great show of cheerfulness--
"Why, I hope it will very materially shorten the period of our sojourn
here, sweetheart. They have the appearance of being good sturdy
fellows; and I shall set them on to help me with my heavy work. It has
gone to my heart to be compelled to ask you to do even the light work
that you have hitherto done for me; although I could not have got on at
all without your assistance. Now, however, with their help I shall be
able to get on swimmingly, while you can amuse yourself in any way that
you please. Now I am going to tack; look out for your head, dear; I
cannot afford to have you knocked overboard by the main-boom. Helm's
a-lee!"
Instead of returning to the brig, Leslie proceeded direct to the island
where, having landed Flora, he proceeded, with some difficulty, to rouse
the savages, and supply them with food and drink. They proved to be, as
Leslie had said, a pair of fine, well-made men, naked, save for a kind
of breech-clout round their loins, of sturdy physique, and apparently
but little the worse for their adventure. Nor were they especially
unprepossessing in appearance, although there was a certain character of
ruthlessness in the expression of their eyes and about their mouths and
chins that caused Leslie to determine that he would keep a very wary eye
upon them, at all events until he had learned a little more about their
character and disposition.