It
was Mrs. Travers who, after waiting awhile, forced on him the pain
of thought by wanting to know what bearing Hassim's news had upon the
situation.
Lingard had not the slightest doubt Daman wanted him to know what had
been done with the prisoners. That is why Daman had welcomed Hassim, and
let him hear the decision and had allowed him to leave the camp on the
sandbank. There could be only one object in this; to let him, Lingard,
know that the prisoners had been put out of his reach as long as he
remained in his brig. Now this brig was his strength. To make him leave
his brig was like removing his hand from his sword.
"Do you understand what I mean, Mrs. Travers?" he asked. "They are
afraid of me because I know how to fight this brig. They fear the
brig because when I am on board her, the brig and I are one. An armed
man--don't you see? Without the brig I am disarmed, without me she can't
strike. So Daman thinks. He does not know everything but he is not far
off the truth. He says to himself that if I man the boats to go after
these whites into the lagoon then his Illanuns will get the yacht for
sure--and perhaps the brig as well. If I stop here with my brig he holds
the two white men and can talk as big as he pleases. Belarab believes in
me no doubt, but Daman trusts no man on earth.
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