She did not know that Tollemache was listening, too, until she heard
him ask:

"Did you ever meet any fellow who could swear harder than you, Boyle?"

"Yes, once," was the curt answer.

"He must have been a rotter. What did he say?"

"Huh! just the regulation patter, but he used a megaphone, so I gave
him best. . . ."

But, so far as Elsie was concerned, Boyle's fund of reminiscence had
dried up.

After the midday meal on Christmas day--a sumptuous repast, for the due
preparation of which Elsie had come to the Chilean cook's assistance in
the matter of the plum-pudding--Suarez suddenly reported that a new
column of smoke was rising from Guanaco Hill, a crag dominating the
eastern side of the bay. The hill owed its name, he explained, to a
large cave, in which a legendary herd of llama was said to have its
abode. Probably there had never been any llama on the island, but the
Indians were frightened of the cave, with its galloping ghosts, and
would not enter it. He was unable to attribute any special
significance to the signal on that particular place. During the five
years with the Alaculof tribe he had never seen a fire lit there
before. That, in itself, was a fact sinister and alarming.

Suarez had sufficient tact not to make this statement publicly. He
told Christobal, and the doctor passed on the information to the
captain. Both men went to the poop with their glasses, and carefully
examined the coast line.

Courtenay was the first to break an oppressive silence, and his low
pitched voice announced stirring tidings.

"Do you see those canoes yonder?" he said.

"There were three under the trees before Suarez discovered the smoke on
Guanaco. Now I fancy I can make out nearly a dozen. Though they are
not launched, they have been put there for some purpose. Would you
mind going forrard and asking Mr. Boyle to summon all hands on deck?
He knows exactly what to do. Remember that I regard you and Miss
Maxwell as non-combatants, and expect you both to remain in the saloon.
If these painted devils really mean to attack, some of us will get
hurt, and then your services will be of greater value than in the
fighting line. And, if I do not see Miss Maxwell before the trouble
begins, please tell her she need fear no alarm. We shall be able to
beat off our assailants with comparative ease."

When the captain of the _Kansas_ spoke like that there was no
gainsaying him. Even Christobal, whose jealous su