Evidently the Dyaks were unprepared as he for the events of the preceding half-hour.

They were either visiting the island to procure turtle and _beche-de-mer_ or had merely called there _en route_ to some other destination, and the change in the wind had unexpectedly compelled them to put ashore.

Beyond all doubt they must have been surprised by the warmth of the reception they encountered.
Probably, when he went to Summit Rock that morning, the savages had lowered their sail and were steadily paddling north against wind and current.

The most careful scrutiny of the sea would fail to reveal them beyond a distance of six or seven miles at the utmost.
After landing in the hidden bay on the south side, they crossed the island through the trees instead of taking the more natural open way along the beach.

Why?
The fact that he and Iris were then passing the grown-over tract leading to the Valley of Death instantly determined this point.