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"That, as er, was behind this adventure, I do not doubt," Laurence said, e There were noer than two biscuits a day for each man, if rationed over four months: futile to hope the French would return any sooner

"Well, don’t look so gluue, or some tropic fever, and kill off half of us," Granby said "You don’t suppose some ship will put in here? Some other ship, I mean"

"I cannot think it likely; we are too close to the continent and the island too poor," Laurence said "A captain would likely seek a more certain harbor if desperate for resupply, and not waste the tions hten the now, do you suppose?"

He meant the sailors: farther down the beach they for once had stirred theathered around it; cocoanut shells were being passed around, and a burst of riotous laughter carried over the sand "Oh, damn them all," Laurence said "They have made a still somewhere, I suppose; that is why one of the barrels was taken I ought have known"

"Can you brew liquor out of cocoanuts?" Granby said dubiously

"That or they have found some other fruit which would serve the the Yes, Mr Ferris, we know," he added, as Ferris joined the over at the bonfire

"One of the ship’s boys told Gerry, inviting hi," Ferris said, "but only just now" And Gerry had evidently reported not to Forthing but to Ferris; Laurence privately shook his head

"I don’t suppose we can stop the over at their sons come back, at least"

"And not then," Laurence said "They will be all the eable with liquor in their bellies; we must let them drink themselves insensate if they will, and I only hope they will do so before they achieve soet the rest of the biscuit and meat under some better cover instead," Granby said, and added, "See to it, if you please, Ferris--" to Laurence’s disether the next few hours in the worst of the day’s heat, digging a fresh cellar for the foodstuffs and lining it with pal over what remained of the biscuit and pork All the while the distant noise and celebration grew louder andover with the s cockles; the sailors had at least shown so their entertainment

Meanwhile the aviators settled wearily on the sand, and Gong Su shared out theirnoodles made of pounded biscuit and seaweed, in a thin broth of pork and fish bones; this they were forced to slurp out of cocoanut-shell bowls, using sticks to maneuver the lumps of salt pork to their mouths "Where is your brother?" Laurence asked Sipho, as putting aside a boas putting aside tls, Laurence noticed, and he added one hunting," Sipho said evasively "You know he is very good at it"

This was perfectly true, and did not satisfy Laurence any the better Mrs Peuest Laurence had entreated the privilege for her, and could not have wished to subject a gentlewoly inconvenient that the chaperone should be gone at precisely the moment her services would have proven of any use

Demane and Roland did not reappear for hours, while the sailors’ rout grew steadily louder and h food nor liquor to content the the brawlers as for entertainht on the sand, and ugly laughter "Next pull is , as he pushed back towards the still; blood was on his fingers

Laurence turned away, disliking even to look; and it was no fit sight for the young officers "Gentlemen, I think ill send you into the interior for an hour or two--"

"No, sir," Ferris said abruptly, interrupting "Look sharp, fellows," and he was standing up--a party of the sailors was co off the h soh beast reached out a paw; Handes was in the lead

Laurence rose also, and found hi men: Cavendish had planted hin Thorne, only thirteen, was beside hi and Ferris had put the them away towards a stand of scrub and thornbrake, with only Gerry and Sipho inside that protective circle with theh he and Granby were children, Laurence thought, repulsed in every instinct

The sailors closed in, loosely half-a-ring around thelazed with excessive sweat: their breas not a wholesome one, and more than one rowth of beard Their breath was so thick with spirits Laurence could s at hileeful and bloody "Now, there’s no call for arguing, boys," Handes said "We don’tof us; and then I fancy we’ll hear a different song from the beasts, when they are back"

"They’ll disembowel the lot of you for the crabs, you ass," Granby said, "and like as not all the felloho hadn’t anything to do with it just the sa to put us?"

"Keep off, there," Bardesley said, sharp, and shoved away one of the sailors as pressing in on him too closely