Page:Barbour--Lost island.djvu/368

 Jim looked down thoughtfully at the scene below for a while,

"Um talk with Meester Flagg and no shooting, eh?" he said at last.

"You 've got the idea," said Tempest, encouragingly.

"Jim fix um up," he declared. "You come half-way down hill and wait."

"Don't you do anything rash, now," Tempest said. "We don't want to have him taking potshots at you."

The Kanaka grinned, which was the nearest he ever came to actually laughing. Without another word he began the descent, the others following. When they had gone within a hundred yards of the edge of the trees near the Hatteras, he motioned them to stop, and then he crept forward alone. While still hidden by the bushes he uttered a peculiar call, evidently intended to attract the attention of the other Kanakas.