to take care of themselves. But if you've
discovered it since--"

"I have not. I am not sure the island is inhabited; but as we were
running down the coast I saw something through my glasses--a coil of
smoke beyond the hills on the eastern side. Now, if, as seems
certain, this fire was lit by human beings, it almost stands to
reason they must have sighted our ship. Next comes the question Why
did I go ashore and take Mr. Rogers? Well, in the first place, we
didn't come here to lie at anchor and sail away again; and if the
island happened to be inhabited, and by people who don't want us,
why, then, the sooner we nipped ashore and prospected, the better,
for the spot where I sighted the smoke must lie a good five miles
from here as the crow flies, and by the shape of the hills and the
amount of scrub between 'em, those five miles must be equal to
fifteen. But why (say you) did I take Mr. Rogers? I took Mr.
Rogers, after consulting with Miss Belcher--"

"Does _she_ know there are people on the island?"

"She does. I took Mr. Rogers because, if danger there be, it seemed
likelier we should find it ashore than on board the schooner; and
because, as the shortest way to make sure if these strangers were
after our treasure, we had agreed to make straight for the clump of
trees described on the back of the chart and examine whether the
ground thereabouts had been visited lately or disturbed; and,
further, because our search might require more strength and agility
than I alone, with my lame leg, could command. I felt pretty easy
about the schooner. She can only be attacked by boat, and I searched
the coast pretty narrowly on our way down without sighting one.
If these men possess a boat, she probably lies somewhere on the
eastern side, not far from their camp fire. If she lies nearer, it
must be somewhere under the cliffs to the south, in which case her
owners would have a long journey to reach her, and that journey must
take them around the head of the creek here. But (say you) there may
be two parties on the island--one by the camp fire northward, and
another under the south shore. I'll grant this, though I think it
unlikely; but, even so, to attack the schooner they must bring their
boat up the whole length of the entrance, where our people would have
her in view for at least two miles. This would give ample time for a
signal to recall us, and on the chance of it I left Goodfellow in
charge of two rockets wi