surroundings before I can answer that question," I replied.
"I'm willing to run almost any risk for the sake of getting away," resumed Dan. "I wonder if we can't bribe that chap who is walking up and down in front of the door."
"Don't try it, Dan. For if you do, and you fail, he will watch us more closely than ever.
"Then what's to do?"
"As I just said, we'll examine the situation first."
Our hands were still bound behind us, for so far we had not deemed it best to get rid of the bonds. But now each of us set to work on one of the others, and soon we were free.
It was pitch-dark inside the hut, but outside the stars were shining through a mass of fleeting clouds. With caution I crawled to the doorway and gazed forth.
The Kanaka sentinel trudged slowly up and down, a heavy club in his hand, ready, as I mentioned before, to strike down the first person who showed himself.
"We can't go that way, that's sure," I whispered. "Let us try to get a look out of the rear, anyhow."
I walked to the back of the hut, which was not over twelve feet square, and soon found a small slit to which I applied my eyes. A tree and a
