Jack and Tom were taken by surprise. They had been napping in a small, peaceful clearing with a brook running through it, but crashes in the bushes woke them with a start. Jack barely had time to reach for his sword before it was wrenched violently from his hand by someone behind him. He dove forward, out of the way, just as his own blade bit into the patch of moss where he had been sitting.
Tom was knocked unconscious by a club at the same time. He slumped forward and hit the back of Jack's knees, tripping him. Jack stumbled and was knocked out as well.
The cannibal tribe leader grinned savagely as he surveyed the two prisoners. He prodded Tom's limp form with his spear butt and said to his fellows in their native tongue, "This one wears the uniform of the angry one back at the camp. The other one here must be their chief."
A younger, slightly stupid cannibal ran forward, saying, "With the other ones, they will make good eating, chief! Let me kill the lesser one, he killed my brother Pakan at the cliff."
His leader jabbed the spear at him irritably. "Idiot! The only one we eat is you if you lay hands on them. The Frenchmen will pay us well. This one-"he nodded at Jack "-is probably an enemy of theirs, a chieftain too."
The younger one, whose name was Jimjara, backed up, knowing his leader would follow up on his threat if he touched the prisoners, but he silently swore vengeance for his brother.
Jack, who had quick powers of recovery, was already starting to come around. The leader of the cannibals made no move to stop him as he stood shakily and glared at them. He said in passable French, "Let us go. We have no quarrel with you."
The chieftain smiled and said in the same language, "No, but the Frenchmen do. I have heard of you, Jacques Aubrey. Don't look so surprised; I know who you are. I think the French will pay heavily to have you, and your First Officer Thomas Pullings too. And of course, part of your crew, including William Mowett. We have them all, Capitaine Aubrey. And now we have you."
Jack paled and opened his mouth to reply, but the Jimjara ran up behind him and knocked him out again. The leader nodded approvingly at him and said, "Tie these two up and take them back to the camp. They can stay with the other prisoners."
The cannibals did as they were told and left the deceptively calm clearing, thoughts of food on the mind despite their chieftain's warning.