"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.
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