Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/271

OR, VULCAN S PEAK. 31 "Then we re to expect the re^ti/les tonight?" said Betts, as soon as he had regained his voice. " I think not," answered Mark. * The canoes I saw were in the false channel, and cannot possibly reach us without returning to the western margin of the rocks, and entering one of the true passages. I rather think this can not be done before morning. Daylight, indeed, may be absolutely necessary to them ; and as the night promises to be dark, it is not easy to see how strangers can find their way to us, among the maze of passages they must meet. By land, they cannot get here from any of the islands on the western side of the group; and even if landed on the central island, ther^is only one route, and that a crooked one, which will bring them here without the assistance of their canoes. We are reasonably well fortified, Betts, through natural agencies, on that side; and I do not appre hend seeing anything more of the fellows until morning." " What a misfortin tis that they should ever have disco vered the Reef!" " It certainly is ; and it is one, I confess, I had not ex pected. But we must take things as they are, Betts, and do our duty. Providence that all-seeing Power, which spared you and me when so many of our shipmates were called away with short notice Providence may still be pleased to look on us with favour." " That puts me in mind, Mr. Mark, of telling you some thing that I have lately 1 arn d from Jones, who was about a good deal among the savages, since his friend s marriage with Peggy, and before he made his escape to join us. Jones says that, as near as he can find out, about three years ago, a ship s launch came into Betto s Land, as we call it Waally s Country, however, is meant ; and that is a part of the group I never ventured into, seeing that my partic lar friend, Ooroony, and Waally, was always at dag gers drawn but a ship s launch came in there, about three years since, with seven living men in it. Jones could never get a sight of any of the men, for Waally is said to have kept them all hard at work for himself; but he got tole rable accounts of them, as well as of the boat in which they arrived." " Surely, Bob, jou do not suppose that launch to have