And without looking to see the effect of her words, Inez left the captain to his own thoughts.
Abram Storms, with folded arms, was intently watching him, and he carefully studied his countenance. He was still doing so, when Inez turned her back upon Sanders. Mr. Storms noted the strange expression on the handsome countenance, and just then Sanders turned and looked straight at the man before the latter could withdraw his gaze. As their eyes met, he signaled to Storms to approach, and the latter, with no little wonderment and some misgiving, did so.
"Mr. Storms," said he, "that double canoe off yonder has twenty-three pirates on board."
"I suspected as much," coolly replied the other.
"And a set of worse villains cannot be found in the South Seas."
"These two men that I have on board belong to the same crew."
"You did, eh? Did you suspect that I was in the plot to obtain possession of your pearls?"
"I did not suspect it; I was sure of it, which is why I have carried my loaded revolver with me."
"That wouldn't have defeated the plan we had laid, for when twenty-three odd savages, with their spears, war-clubs and a few muskets, had stolen up to the island in the darkness, and crept silently into your cabin, what good would your guns and revolvers have done you?"
"That was it precisely. By some means or other, which I never could understand, rumors reached Wauparmur, months ago, that two men and a child were on an island to the south of us, and that they had an immense lot of the most valuable pearls. I cannot comprehend how it was the natives gained such knowledge, for it must have had some basis of truth, inasmuch as it proved to be true."
"There was a proa which passed close to the island while we were opening the pearl-oysters," said Storms. "We all saw it."
"The rumor came from them, then," continued Sanders, "and a party was formed to go down there, and find out whether it was true, and, in case it was, the white men were to be overcome by treachery, and their possessions in the shape of pearls taken. Since there is no more desperate and wicked member of the gang than am I, of course I was one of the first chosen.
"We started in two boats, and, as we went along, I could see difficulties in the way which never occurred to them. It was not likely you carried the pearls about with you, as a person wears his jewelry; but most likely they were buried, so that if we came down upon you and made an overwhelming attack, as was first intended, we might put you all to death, and then be unable to find where you had hidden your treasures. Besides that, I saw that it was more than probable you had firearms, with which you could successfully hold out against a large force, and it would prove no easy thing to subdue you."