For a while, it looked as though they were trapped on the island. The
natives didn't dare to attack again, but no hunting party was safe, and
the food supply was dropping. They had gotten on the island only by the
help of the natives, who had ferried them over on rafts. But getting off
was another thing, now that the natives were hostile. Cutting down trees
to build rafts might possibly be managed, but during the loading the
little company would be too vulnerable to attack.
The commander was seated bleakly in the hut he had taken as his
headquarters, trying to devise a scheme for getting to the mainland,
when the deadlock was finally broken.
There was a flurry of footsteps outside, a thump of heavy boots as one
of the younger officers burst into the room.
"Commander!" he yelled. "Commander! Come outside!"