Reuben, who was the tallest and most imposing of the set, and who was evidently considered by the villagers to be the leading deity, then addressed a long harangue to the chief and villagers.

He beckoned to the four girls, who timidly advanced, and one knelt at the feet of each of the whites.
Then Reuben motioned that a hut must be built, close to the shrine; and, pointing to the sun, he traced its way across the sky, and made a mark upon the ground.

This he repeated fourteen times, signifying that the girls must be shut up in the hut and guarded safely for that time, after which the nuptials would take place.
"You are quite sure, Ned," he said, pausing and turning round to his friend, "that we shall be able to make our attempt to escape before the end of the fourteen days?
Because it would be fearful, indeed, if we were to fail, and to find ourselves compelled to marry these four heathen women." "We will certainly try before the fourteen days are up, Reuben; but with what success, of course we cannot say.

But if we lay our plans well, we ought to manage to get off." The villagers readily understood the harangue of Reuben, and without delay the whole scattered into the wood and, returning with bundles of palm leaves and some strong posts, at once began to erect the hut.

Fires were lighted as the evening came on, and before they ceased their labor the hut was finished.
During this time the girls had remained sitting patiently in front of the shrine.