my mind while noting everything in
sight and awaiting a further sign of life.

Soon a hinge squeaked. A man stepped from one of the smaller huts,
looked at the sky, yawned and stretched. A second appeared from another
hut, walked away and came back with an armful of wood that he took into
the dining hall. As they passed there was scarcely a nod of greeting. A
surly pair, I thought. After this smoke issued from the chimney, and
other men, one by one from other huts, came dribbling out into the day,
until altogether we had counted seven. The six now before us, after
make-shift splashes in the basins beside their doors, went as the chap
with the wood had gone; and shortly we heard sounds of knives and forks
rattling on china.

It was at this moment that a thin line of smoke arose from the chimney
of Sylvia's bungalow. Longingly I watched it; tingling to my finger tips
I blessed it. A side door opened, but it was an Indian woman who emerged
with two pails and walked back of the house--doubtless to a tank of rain
water, because she returned with them full and went in, taking care to
close the door softly. The deference of her manner, the affection with
which she apparently guarded her mistress' sleep, strongly appealed to
me, and I knew that the Indian woman would be my friend.

The next move came again from the dining hall when a swarthy fellow
emerged wiping his mouth upon his sleeve. His hair was long and black,
reaching below his shoulders. With a rifle nested in the hollow of his
arm he disappeared toward the tower, and Smilax whispered:

"Him Injun."

Now to our surprise some one appeared to be looking down from the tower,
and a few minutes later the Indian was seen above the mangroves climbing
up to him. There must have been strips spiked crosswise to one of the
uprights, making a kind of ladder.

"So that's a watch tower," I said cautiously. "And he makes eight."

Smilax nodded.

The fellows talked a while, then the one who had been relieved came
down, going for his breakfast.

"What do you think of it?" I whispered.

"No see him before," Smilax looked grave. "Maybe one up in tree 'round
here."

"Gee, you think so?" It was not a comforting suggestion.

"No, maybe not," he answered, after a moment of thought. "They no look
for us by land; all by water. We all right. Look! Efaw Kotee have
breakfast!"

Two men left the dining hall, each bearing a tray of food, and we
watched until they entered the rath