"He put his head up, looked across at us
for about five minutes, then dodged quickly back."
"You weren't dreaming?"
"Dreaming? Rot! I haven't closed my eyes since we retired!"
I threw off the rug and looked around. Leith lay under the maupei tree
in the same position as we had seen him in at the moment I lay down.
Near him the Professor snored dismally, probably dreaming dreams of the
greatness that would be thrust upon him in the near future. No sounds
came from the tent that sheltered the two girls, but a combination of
curious nasal sounds rose from the spot where the natives were sleeping
around their fire.
"It might be one of the niggers," whispered Holman. "Let us see."
We stole silently across the intervening space, and, crouching in the
shadows, counted the sleepers. There were seven. The prowler that Holman
had seen upon the top of the stone structure was evidently an outsider,
and the knowledge brought no pleasant feelings. Leith had assured the
Professor on several occasions that the island was uninhabited, yet it
was quite possible that natives from the adjoining groups had visited it
during the period that elapsed since his last visit.
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