Dominique and I have been making them for
the last two hours. We can leave them here, sir, by the side of the
path, and pick them up as we come along back."
A couple of minutes later the party started. They followed the path
down until nearly at the bottom of the hill. Here the trees grew
thinner, and Dominique, who was leading, turned to the right. They
made their way noiselessly through the wood, Dominique taking them
a much wider circuit round the village than he himself had made,
and bringing them out from the trees at the lower end of the
plantation of bananas.
Hitherto they had been walking in single file, but Frank now passed
along the order for them to close up.
"Keep together as well as you can," he said, when they were
assembled; "and mind how you pass between the trees. If you set
these big trees waving, it might be noticed at once."
Very cautiously they stole forward until they reached the edge by
the stream. Frank looked through the trees. Four white sailors were
lying on the ground, smoking, in front of their hut. Carthew and
his companion were stretched in two hammocks hung from the tree
under which their hut stood.
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