lmost starved, as
under ordinary circumstances they would have been relieved at noon.
However, as Desmond observed, they had to "grin and bear it." Still,
not forgetful of their duty, they were keeping a look-out over the
ocean, when one of the men exclaimed, "We shall have more visitors than
we bargained for; see, Mr Rogers, here come a whole tribe of the
rascally Arabs; and if they find us out, we shall have a squeak for it."

Tom turned his glass in the direction to which the man pointed. "There
are Arabs, and not a few, but the greater number of the people are
blacks," he observed; "by the way they are walking, they must be slaves.
That accounts for the dhows bringing up here; I've no doubt it is a
caravan from the interior, and the poor wretches are being brought down
to be embarked. Had the ship remained here, all three would have been
set free as local traders. I fancy Mr Matson suspects something of the
sort, and is just waiting till they get their slaves on board to capture
them. Now I think of it, I heard him yesterday say that he had
discovered a deep bight at that end of the island, into which the boats
could be hauled and remain perfectly concealed. If that is the case,
the dhows have not seen them, and fancy that the people on shore, whom
they can't have failed to discover, have no means of getting off."

"Faith, I hope that's the case," observed Desmond; "for if those Arabs
who are coming this way were to find us out, they'd be after shooting at
us in a somewhat unpleasant manner."

Tom and the rest of the party could not help feeling that Desmond was
right. However, they determined to make the best of a bad case; and, as
they were tolerably well posted, to defend themselves against all odds.
In their exposed position there could be no doubt that they had already
been seen, so that they could not hope to conceal themselves, which
might have been their wisest course. Tom, therefore, ordered his men to
fire off two muskets to attract the attention of the party on the
island, trusting that they would, as soon as they saw the Arabs, push
off to their assistance.

No answering signal, however, being made, the midshipmen began to have
serious misgivings as to what had happened. "Well, my lads," cried Tom,
addressing the four seamen who had accompanied him and Desmond, "we'll
make the best of a bad case, and hold out as long as our ammunition
lasts and we've got strength to hold our swords and cutlas