They held a meeting and voted to sell."
"But why didn't they stand by and try to save her?"
"Stand by! You know Malaita. And you know Poonga-Poonga. That's where
they cut off the _Scottish Chiefs_ and killed all hands. There was
nothing to do but take to the boats. The _Martha_ missed stays going in,
and inside five minutes she was on the reef and in possession. The
niggers swarmed over her, and they just threw the crew into the boats. I
talked with some of the men. They swear there were two hundred war
canoes around her inside half an hour, and five thousand bushmen on the
beach. Said you couldn't see Malaita for the smoke of the signal fires.
Anyway, they cleared out for Tulagi."
"But why didn't they fight?" Sheldon asked.
"It was funny they didn't, but they got separated. You see, two-thirds
of them were in the boats, without weapons, running anchors and never
dreaming the natives would attack. They found out their mistake too
late. The natives had charge. That's the trouble of new chums on the
coast. It would never have happened with you or me or any old-timer."
"But what is Miss Lackland intending to do?" Captain Auckland grinned.
"She's going to try to get the _Martha_ off, I should say. Or else why
did she pay fifty-five quid for her? And if she fails, she'll try to get
her money back by saving the gear--spars, you know, and patent steering-
gear, and winches, and such things.
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