With the happy belief in his mind that he could punish and drive away his assailants whenever he should feel so disposed, Philip seated himself once more in the captain’s arm-chair and opened the journal at the page whereon he had found the welcome information concerning the weapons.

It was no longer like a person who believes himself in danger that Philip continued the story. The fire-arms and stock of ammunition had given him a sense of almost perfect security, and to have seen him as he took up the book one would have supposed him to be some prosperous planter’s son rather than a shipwrecked youth surrounded on all sides by brute enemies.

Philip had ceased reading at the point where the mystery attending the disappearance of the colonists was apparently solved, and now the lines which followed caused him to be oblivious of everything around. The additional information was couched in the following words:

We have this morning discovered that which gives my officers and myself the greatest uneasiness.[174] There can no longer be any question but that the pirates have learned of our whereabouts, and are already meditating an attack, in which case we shall be almost entirely at their mercy, for the ship is not armed sufficiently heavy to resist such an onslaught as may be expected.

It has been the subject of consultation during the forenoon, and opinion seems to be equally divided as to whether we ought to abandon the plantation, or destroy the ship and hold out as long as possible in such frail refuge as the buildings of the village will afford. In the event of our deciding upon this last plan, it is an open question with me whether we will not be sacrificing more than if we left the island until a sufficient force of natives can be procured from one of the Dutch settlements to augment our army until we are able to cope with these scourges of the seas.

The cause of our uneasiness may seem a trifling one to the uninitiated, but those who are at all familiar with the customs of the Malays can readily understand how imminent is the danger which threatens.

Last evening Mr. Clark, who is in command of the ship while she lays at anchorage, believed he saw the reflection of a light from the southernmost point of the island, but owing to the lateness of the hour he did not report such fact to me. This morning at daybreak he, with half a dozen of the crew, proceeded to that portion of the beach where the fire was supposed to have been built, and the absence of any embers in the vicinity convinced him that he had been mistaken or else a vessel was burned many miles off the coast. On returning to the Reynard, however, he found sufficient proof that the pirates had been on shore within the past twenty-four hours, for sticking in the sand directly[175] opposite the ship was a Malay creese. It is such a menace as cannot be misunderstood. Before making an attack the pirates, in case members of their own tribe are at a station to be destroyed, leave such a weapon near by as token that they must be ready to use their own creeses when the battle begins. We have among the colonists four Malays, whom we took from Batavia as interpreters in the event of our finding any natives on this island.

I am positive these four did not see the sinister message, otherwise the knife would have been removed; and I have just given Mr. Clark orders to forbid the sailors to leave the ship lest the fact should become known to those who may have joined us simply for the purpose of aiding in the massacre which would probably take place if the pirates landed. Judging from what I have read and heard, it is not likely we shall be molested for several days; therefore sufficient time yet remains in which to decide upon our course of action.

At this moment the arrival of a ship would be most opportune. I am positive any captain could be persuaded or hired to remain at anchor here three or four weeks, while a portion of our company sailed in search of natives. In any event, word could be sent to Batavia; therefore, in the hope of signaling a vessel that shall lend such assistance, I have had a fire built in the crater of the old volcano, which is the highest point of land, and detailed a force of men to feed it night and day. Should any European craft pass within sight, her commander would unquestionably endeavor to learn the reason for the beacon, and thus my object may be attained.

“I am gradually learning the cause of the apes’ movements,” Philip said to himself, as he looked up[176] from the book thoughtfully. “Goliah’s force probably enjoyed the glare of the flames, and since then, when having nothing better to occupy their attention, have kept the fire alive as I saw it on the night they captured me. If I ever succeed in reaching home again I shall have a true story to tell which will seem in the highest degree improbable.”

Then he turned his attention to the journal once more, and read the following:

During the past week the officers have been making ready for a ball to be held in this building, and I do not consider it necessary to put an end to the festivities. This merry-making will serve to allay any suspicions regarding our safety which may have sprung up among the colonists, ow............