I had demurred at first about coming back here for a day or two; wanting, instead, to travel as speedily as possible to Big Cove, where the _Whim_--and if not the _Whim_, at least the _Orchid_--would be at our disposal. But he showed me the futility of this. In the first place, that was exactly what Efaw Kotee would be suspecting when the escape became known. The dead sentries, certain to be discovered when they failed to call the next half hour, would reveal the story of outside help, so the pursuit would be swift and directly up the coast--swifter, indeed, than she might be able to travel.
"Why shouldn't they think we'd taken her off in a small boat," I asked, "and escaped through the islands?"
"Then Efaw Kotee want to know why kill guard on mainland."
"That's so. But, Smilax, suppose we hide the guards?"
He thought a moment over this, but finally shook his head.
"No good. Then Efaw Kotee say guard run off with Lady, so he come back 'cross prairie same as up and down shore. That make our chance ve'y bad. No. They find men dead, then hunt quick through forest up beach; maybe down beach. After 'while, maybe they find sign where me and you camp in L'il Cove; then they know small boat been there and gone. Then they come home mad, and when all quiet we make big circle to _Whim_. Some day we come back; maybe kill 'em all. Me want Jess; him crack Smilax head. That good plan; you smoke."
I lay on the ground and smiled. Kill 'em all! Gods, but I was going back into the primitive by leaps and bounds! I wondered if that girl would trust herself to me, were she to know!
"Me big fool," Smilax suddenly cried, smashing a fist into the palm of his hand.
"Me ought to be in L'il Cove and make fresh signs. Me big fool!"
It would have been a cute move, but now too late, and I told him so.
"No too late," he sprang up. "Three hour more sun."
"But, Smilax, it took us the best part of a day to come here! You can't do it!"
"Me go short way back, and fast." He pointed to the western sky, at an angle of about twenty degrees above the horizon, asking: "When night come you see big star there?"
I nodded. It was Jupiter or Venus, I didn't know which; but it was large and beautiful, and I had seen it many evenings.