He thought, however, that although
they had professed the greatest indignation, and had offered many
threats as to the vengeance that government would take upon the
village, one of whose inhabitants, at least, must have aided in
the evasion of the prisoners, they would not trouble themselves
any further in the matter. They had already reaped a rich harvest
from the exhibition, and would divide among themselves the share
of their late comrades; nor was it at all improbable that if they
were to report the matter to the authorities they would themselves
get into serious trouble for not having handed over the prisoners
immediately after their capture.
For a fortnight the pilot nursed and fed the two midshipmen. He
had already provided them with native clothes, so that if by chance
any villagers should catch sight of them they would not recognize
them as the escaped white men. At the end of that time both the
lads had almost recovered from the effects of their sufferings.
Jack, indeed, had picked up from the first, but Percy for some days
continued so weak and ill that Jack had feared that he was going
to have an attack of fever of some kind. His companion's cheery and
hopeful chat did as much good for Percy as the nourishing food with
which their friend supplied them, and at the end of the fortnight
he declared that he felt sufficiently strong to attempt to make
his way down to the coast.
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