to see more. Handy Solomon felt the
defences carefully.

"A man would think, sir, it was a cannibal island," he observed. "All
so tight and tidy-like here. It would take a ship's guns to batter
her down. A man might dig under these here two gate logs, if no one
was against him. Like to try it, sir?"

"No," I answered gruffly.

From that time on I was virtually a prisoner; yet so carefully was
my surveillance accomplished that I could place my finger on nothing
definite. Someone always accompanied me on my walks; and in the
evening I was herded as closely as any cattle.

Handy Solomon took the direction of affairs off my hands. You may be
sure he set no very heavy tasks. The men cut a little wood, carried
up a few pails of water--that was all.

Lacking incentive to stir about, they came to spend most of their time
lying on their backs watching the sky. This in turn bred a languor
which is the sickest, most soul- and temper-destroying affair invented
by the devil. They could not muster up energy enough to walk down the
beach and back, and yet they were wearied to death of the inaction.
After a little they became irritable toward one another. Each
suspected the other of doing less than he should. You who know men
will realise what this meant.

The atmosphere of our camp became surly. I recognised the precursor
of its becoming dangerous. One day on a walk in the hills I came on
Thrackles and Pulz lying on their stomachs gazing down fixedly at Dr.
Schermerhorn's camp. This was nothing extraordinary, but they started
guiltily to their feet when they saw me, and made off, growling under
their breaths.

All this that I have told you so briefly, took time. It was the eating
through of men's spirits by that worst of corrosives, idleness. I
conceive it unnecessary to weary you with the details----

The situation was as yet uneasy but not alarming. One evening I
overheard the beginning of an absurd plot to gain entrance to the
Valley--that was as far as detail went. I became convinced at last
that I should in some way warn Percy Darrow.

That seems a simple enough proposition, does it not? But if you will
stop to think one moment of the difficulties of my position, you will
see that it was not as easy as at first it appears. Darrow still
visited us in the evening. The men never allowed me even the chance
of private communication while he was with us. One or two took pains
to stretch out between us. Twice I arose when t