He clapped his hands, and for the next quarter of an hour the
house-boys were kept busy carrying messages to the barracks. A man was
sent to Balesuna village to command old Seelee's immediate presence. A
boat's-crew was started in a whale-boat with word for Boucher to come
down. Ammunition was issued to the Tahitians, and the storeroom
overhauled for a few days' tinned provisions. Viaburi turned yellow when
told that he was to accompany the expedition, and, to everybody's
surprise, Lalaperu volunteered to take his place.
Seelee arrived, proud in his importance that the great master of Berande
should summon him in the night-time for council, and firm in his refusal
to step one inch within the dread domain of the bushmen. As he said, if
his opinion had been asked when the gold-hunters started, he would have
foretold their disastrous end. There was only one thing that happened to
any one who ventured into the bushmen's territory, and that was that he
was eaten. And he would further say, without being asked, that if
Sheldon went up into the bush he would be eaten too.
Sheldon sent for a gang-boss and told him to bring ten of the biggest,
best, and strongest Poonga-Poonga men.
"Not salt-water boys," Sheldon cautioned, "but bush boys--leg belong him
strong fella leg.
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