last he came to what appeared to be the end of the swamp, and here he
discovered a small patch of cultivated ground.

The discovery awoke him to the necessity of caution, but he was awakened
too late, for already had one of the Raturan natives observed him
advancing out of the swamp. Instantly he gave the alarm that a "white
face" was approaching. Of course the appearance of one suggested a
scout, and the speedy approach of a host. Horrified to see a supposed
enemy come from a region which they had hitherto deemed their sure
refuge, the few natives who dwelt there flew to arms, and ran to meet
the advancing foe.

The pirate was not just then in a mood to resist. He had no weapon, and
no spirit left. He therefore suffered himself to be taken prisoner
without a struggle, satisfied apparently to know that the madman was not
one of those into whose hands he had fallen.

Great was the rejoicing among the Raturans when the prisoner was brought
in, for they were still smarting under the humiliation of their defeat,
and knew well that their discomfiture had been largely owing to the
influence of "white faces." True, they did not fall into the mistake of
supposing that Rosco was the awful giant who had chased and belaboured
them so unmercifully with a long stake, but they at once concluded that
he was a comrade of Zeppa--perhaps one of a band who had joined their
foes. Besides, whether he were a comrade or not was a matter of small
moment. Sufficient for them that his face was white, that he belonged
to a race which, in the person of Zeppa, had wrought them evil, and that
he was now in their power.

Of course, the Raturans had not during all these years, remained in
ignorance of the existence of Zeppa. They had heard of his dwelling in
the mountain soon after he had visited the village of their enemies, and
had also become aware of the fact that the white man was a madman and a
giant, but more than this they did not know, because of their feud
preventing interchange of visits or of news between the tribes. Their
imaginations, therefore, having full swing, had clothed Zeppa in some of
the supposed attributes of a demigod. These attributes, however, the
same imaginations quickly exchanged for those of a demi-devil, when at
last they saw Zeppa in the flesh, and were put to flight by him. His
size, indeed, had rather fallen short of their expectation, for sixty
feet had been the average estimate, but his fury and aspe