These two premises accepted there could be little doubt that Schneider
would prove trustworthy in so far as accepting the command of the
Cowrie was concerned; after that Kai Shang knew that he could find
means to coerce the man into submission to his further wishes.
When Schneider and Schmidt left them and set out in the direction
of their own camp, it was with feelings of far greater relief
than they had experienced in many a day. Now at last they saw a
feasible plan for leaving the island upon a seaworthy craft. There
would be no more hard labour at ship-building, and no risking their
lives upon a crudely built makeshift that would be quite as likely
to go to the bottom as it would to reach the mainland.
Also, they were to have assistance in capturing the woman, or
rather women, for when Momulla had learned that there was a black
woman in the other camp he had insisted that she be brought along
as well as the white woman.
As Kai Shang and Momulla entered their camp, it was with a realization
that they no longer needed Gust. They marched straight to the
tent in which they might expect to find him at that hour of the
day, for though it would have been more comfortable for the entire
party to remain aboard the ship, they had mutually decided that
it would be safer for all concerned were they to pitch their camp
ashore.
Pages:
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260