He was anxious about the others; he had no recollection of seeing them since the fight began. It seemed to him that since he picked up that club and leaped down into the pass he had seen nothing but vicious yellow faces and evil eyes, and broken heads, and bodies that suddenly crumbled and fell. His mind was relieved by the sight of Evans as soon as they topped the pass. And at distant sight of the stretcher Evans came running up with an anxious face. "Serious?" he asked. "Don't think so. A jag through the arm and a scratch on the face, but I felt sick and couldn't climb the hill. Where's Stuart?" "Back here. Got a bullet through the leg. No bones broken, but he won't walk for a week or two." "Many others wounded?" "Two Torches, half a dozen natives, and a dozen of the yellow men. Frightful blackguards they are too. Makes me wish they'd been killed outright just to look at them." Blair nodded. He could not plead wholly guiltless in that respect. A dozen yellow men on their hands would be an anxiety and a burden. A light affliction, however, compared with what might have been if the invaders had caught them napping. And so they must make the best of it, and be thankful for things as they were. "Now see here, boys," he said, sitting up on the stretcher. "We've had our fight and by God's mercy we've won. I'm afraid we all lost our heads a bit while it was on"--at which, and their recollection of him in the fight, the sailors grinned--"and I think we cannot blame ourselves for that. But these men who are left on our hands are tabu. The islanders will kill them if they get the chance, and we must prevent it. What is done in the hot blood of battle is done. But killing in cold blood is murder. You have all fought valiantly. Don't spoil it by any such doings. And, by the way, Evans, there's another of them lying under a rock to the left of the path over there. You might see to him. I flung my club after a bunch of them and this fellow went down, but he was only stunned." "I'll go and bring him up at once, before the brown fellows come." "No news of Cathie, I suppose. When did his big gun stop?" "Over an hour ago. We've no news. I hope it's all right. I'd have sent down but I'd no one to send." "Which of you boys will go for news?" asked Blair. "I doubt if we can all get down to-night." "That you can't," said Evans. "It'll be a case of go easy for some days for all you hipped ones." All the men volunteered at once. Every one of them was keen to know what had been going on on the other side of the island. "You seem fairly fresh, Irvine. Tell Captain Cathie how we've gone on here, and that casualties are not serious. If he can spare us some more help we can do with it to get the wounded down. Ask him to send word to the ladies also. They will be anxious about us all. And if he can send us something to eat we'll be glad of it. I'm feeling empty after it all."