Each hour increased the anxiety of Captain Seaworth and his officers. There was every reason to believe the pirates would return, and perhaps very soon. It was not the custom of Malays to acknowledge themselves vanquished so quickly, and doubtless they had the fullest information concerning the movements of the colonists from the numberless small proas or sampans which can be met in any direction under the guise of honest traders.

Now that the colonists had returned, it was to be expected the pirates would avenge themselves for the injuries inflicted by the Reynard, and it was more than probable these reprisals would be made at the earliest possible moment. As Mr. Clark suggested:

“This time there will be no warning given. The weapon we found serves to notify any of their friends we may have with us to be on the alert, and when the scoundrels come again it will be with the utmost secrecy.”

The ship which brought the natives from Batavia must also be taken back, and there were hardly more than sufficient able-bodied men left after the[281] battle to work both crafts into port. If, therefore, the pirates should attack while the vessels were at anchor, it would be possible to make only the slightest show of defense. The Malays could easily finish that which Goliah had begun, and the massacre would be complete.

“Since we have decided to visit the cave,” Captain Seaworth said, as the council of war was brought to a close, “I believe it should be done without loss of time. The apes have received such a punishment as will probably prevent them from renewing hostilities until after they have recovered somewhat from the effects of the battle, and the journey can be made more safely to-morrow morning than twelve hours later.”

“You might also continue, captain, by saying that it would be safer to go now than wait eighteen hours,” Mr. Clark said.

Instead of replying, Captain Seaworth looked at Philip questioningly, and the latter said, after a brief time of thought:

“I am of the opinion that the attempt should be made at once. We can return by sunset, and it will then be possible to take advantage of the night-breeze to get under way.”

There was no necessity for any further discussion, and preparations for the journey were begun without delay.

As a matter of course it was necessary to leave behind as many of the able-bodied men as would be sufficient to work the boats, because it was unsafe to[282] moor the little crafts where the apes might destroy or set them adrift, and after the crew had been told off for this purpose there were but twenty-two uninjured ones to go in search of the treasure.

Few as these were in number, they made a formidable host because of their weapons. Each carried a repeating-rifle, two revolvers, and a cutlass, with ammunition enough to continue a spirited engagement for at least an hour.

The afternoon was not more than half spent when the little party was conveyed from the ship to the shore, and, forming in a column of fours, marched up the southern avenue to the ruins of the village, each man on the alert for the slightest suspicious sound which should betoken the coming of the enemy.

During the march they took note of one singular fact—the absence of any dead or wounded apes.

It was in this avenue that they had seen scores of the enemy fall before the discharge of the cannon, and it was not probable they had killed less than a hundred. On the foliage were stains of blood, and the broken surface of the road showed where the soil had absorbed the life-blood of many a human being as well as animal; but there were no other traces of the fray. Several times did Captain Seaworth and Philip leave the ranks to penetrate a short distance among the underbrush, but without gaining any information as to the disposition of the dead.

On arriving at the ruins of the village it was[283] found deserted, like the avenue, and the treasure-seekers continued on their way to the grotto.

This last portion of the journey was supposed to be the most dangerous, and yet they reached the mouth of the cavern without having been molested.

The work of carrying away the treasure which had seemed so dangerous now appeared to be a very simple task, and Philip, followed by his companions, marched boldly into the grotto without a thought of danger, when suddenly a shower of stones came from the tunnel with such effect that three of the party were stricken down.

Naturally the first thought of the men was to return the fire; but on raising their weapons there were no adversaries to be seen. As Philip and the chimpanzees had barricaded the passage, so now had Goliah, and a narrow slit at the top of the wall through which the volley of stones had been sent was the only aperture visible.

To aim at this opening woul............