That was soon put right, and a supply of axes for themselves transformed them into an excited, chattering crew, without a grievance in the world. Food was plentiful, the taro swamp was there to their hand, coco-nuts abounded, they had fire and water: what more could any man want, unless it was a slice of brother man to add zest to the feast? And at present both they and brother man were much too busy to give the matter the necessary consideration. It took the _Blackbirder_ three days' hard work to clear away her damaged spars and refit sufficiently for the voyage. Her sulky master suggested a trip ashore to procure some new topmasts. Captain Cathie urged him to go, but expressed doubts as to the probability of his return; and on the morning of the fourth day, the launch having filled their water barrels for them, the _Torch_ got up steam and towed her enemy through the opening in the reef and out to a fair offing, and then cast her off and lay watching till she was hull-down on the eastward horizon. And the very last thing the scowling crew saw--for that time, at all events--was the menacing black mouth of the long gun, and Captain Cathie standing patting its big brown breech affectionately, but in a most unpleasantly meaning way. "Well, thank God we're rid of them at last!" said Aunt Jannet Harvey with fervour, as the brig caught the breeze and drew slowly away. "We shall see them again, ma'am," said Captain Cathie. [Illustration: "We shall see them again," said Captain Cathie (missing from book)] "I wish we'd scuttled them," said Aunt Jannet. CHAPTER XV WHERE THOU GOEST The building operations were progressing apace, and so far they had caught no more than distant glimpses of the malcontents, as they crept cautiously about the hillsides to oversee what was going on below. The proximity of the white men in such force kept them from any expression of what might be in them, and Blair was not without hope that, if he could only get time to develop his plans and demonstrate clearly the advantages of the white alliance, they might still think better of it and come in. Time, however, is what no man can count on. Cautious Captain Cathie, as soon as he had seen the _Blackbirder_ fairly off, proceeded to "bolt the front door," as he said, by running a stout hawser with a kedge at each end across the opening in the lagoon. As this was buried by each incoming roller, it would inevitably overturn any boat running in on the swell, and he felt comparatively safe. Nevertheless, he paced the deck for several nights to make safer still. For the _Torch_ was still the greatest factor in the enterprise, and any accident to her would spell disaster to them all. That first night he was not without his fears of a possible attempt from without.