When he returned to the shelter again, Elaine had waked and carried her
couch to the cave. Despite the fact the hour was early and the sun
only well above the ocean's rim, she declared she had rested much
longer than was either wise or essential.
Yet there was nothing to do for either, now that the day was begun.
Their breakfast of fruits was soon concluded, then of occupation there
was none. Grenville felt it inadvisable to move about too freely on
the terrace, and thereby risk betraying the fact they were only two in
number. A watcher stationed on the second hill could not, as a matter
of fact, examine the entire top of the terrace, or even discern its
principal features, but he might ascertain decidedly too much, should
they carelessly expose themselves to view.
The morning proved for Grenville another exasperation. He thought of
nothing by way of labor he could advantageously perform. Their
defense, though crude, was fairly complete, and could scarcely be
improved. To watch the edge of the jungle, hour after hour, where
never a sign was vouchsafed his vigilance, was a dulling inactivity,
yet a highly essential precaution that was not to be neglected.
By noon he was fairly in a mood to seek out the island's invaders
alone, to hasten some definite action. That the natives intended to
starve them into a visit to the spring seemed all too obvious.
Grenville felt assured, however, the water down in the cavern would
suffice for their needs, if no better could be relied upon, when once
their jars were empty, while gathering fruit would not be wholly
impossible under cover of the night.
With the thought in mind that only the trail would be kept under watch
by the Dyaks, he made up his mind he could readily contrive a
ladder-like platform to extend from the brink, whereby the distance to
the nearest tree might be conveniently bridged to permit easy access to
the jungle. Of creepers and extra bamboo poles he had laid in ample
stock. For the lack of better employment, he began the construction of
his bridge when their meager luncheon had been finished.
His mind, as he worked, spun schemes innumerable for the daily defeat
of the natives. Aware that as long as the terrace could be held
starvation and thirst would be their only unconquerable enemies, he
entertained no end of plans for catching fish without bait and even
trapping or fishing up small animals that might rove at night below the
cliff. From these reflections he returned to the men who prowled about
them after dark.
To secure his cord across the trail and thereby provide an alarm, or
notice of the enemy's approach, from that direction, was a very simple
matter. When he finally invented, in his mind, a singular "rattle" to
guard the approach by the cliff, he dropped all employment on the
bridge at once and began forthwith on the other.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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