Borckman had brought up his own rifle to be ready for instant use.

Van Horn's rifle lay handy in the stern sheets where he stood near Tambi, who steered with a long sweep.
Jerry raised a low whine and yearned over the rail after Skipper, who yielded and lifted him down.
The place of danger was in the boat; for there was little likelihood, at this particular time, of a rising of the return boys on the _Arangi_.
Being of Somo, No-ola, Langa-Langa, and far Malu they were in wholesome fear, did they lose the protection of their white masters, of being eaten by the Su'u folk, just as the Su'u boys would have feared being eaten by the Somo and Langa-Langa and No-ola folk.
What increased the danger of the boat was the absence of a covering boat.
The invariable custom of the larger recruiting vessels was to send two boats on any shore errand.

While one landed on the beach, the other lay off a short distance to cover the retreat of the shore party, if trouble broke out.

Too small to carry one boat on deck, the _Arangi_ could not conveniently tow two astern; so Van Horn, who was the most daring of the recruiters, lacked this essential safeguard.
Tambi, under Van Horn's low-uttered commands, steered a parallel course along the shore.

Where the mangroves ceased, and where high ground and a beaten runway came down to the water's edge, Van Horn motioned the rowers to back water and lay on their oars.