“I know that, sir.  I’ve heard all about it from one of the chaps on the Lucy May.  The man’s name is Ledyard, and this young devil’s-limb of a king hates him like poison—­for two reasons.  One is, that Ledyard, who settled in Leasse a few years ago, taught the people there how to use their muskets in a fight, when Charlik’s father tried to destroy them time and again; the other is that his wife is a white woman—­or almost a white woman, a Bonin Island Portuguese—­and Charlik means to get her.  When Ledyard comes back in his cutter he will walk into a trap, and be killed as soon as he steps ashore.”

North struck his hand upon the ground.  “And to think that I have sailed with such a villain as Cayse, who—­”

“That’s not all.  Ledyard has two children.  Charlik has given orders for them to be killed, as he says he only wants the woman!  Ross, I believe, wanted him to spare ’em, but the young cut-throat said ‘No.’  I heard all this from two men—­the chap from the Lucy May and one of Charlik’s fighting men, who speaks English and seems to have a soft place in his heart for Ledyard.”

The mate of the Iroquois sprang to his feet.  “The cold-blooded wretches!  Come on, Macy.  We must get there in time.”

For another two hours they made steady progress through the darkened forest aisles, and then as they emerged out upon a piece of open country, they saw far beneath them the gleaming sea.  And here, amidst a dense patch of pandanus palms, the path they had followed came to an end.  Pushing their way through the thorny leaves, which tore the skin from their hands and faces, Macy exclaimed excitedly—­

“We’re all right, sir.  I can see a light down there.  It must be a fire on the beach.”

Heedless of the unknown dangers of the deep descent, and every now and then tripping and falling over the roots of trees and fallen timber, they again came out into the open, and there, two hundred feet below them, they saw the high-peaked, saddle-backed houses of Leasse village standing clearly out in the starlight.  But at this point their further progress was barred by a cliff, which seemed to extend for half a mile on both sides of them.  Cautiously feeling their way along its ledge they sought in vain for a path.

“We must hail them, Macy.  There will be sure to be plenty of them who can speak a little English and show us the way to get down.”

Returning as quickly as possible to the spot immediately over the village, the officer gave a long, loud hail.

“Below there, you sleepers!”

The hoarse, shrieking notes of countless thousands of roosting sea-birds, as they rose in alarm from their perches in the forest trees, mingled with the barking of dogs from the village, and then came a wild cry of alarm from a human throat.

Waiting for a few moments till the clamour had somewhat subsided, the two men again hailed in unison.