about noon
The most distressing surmises as to the cause of the disappearance of our companions , now began to suggest themselves . We were so astounded by this decisive evidence of the presence of strangers upon the island , that we scarcely knew what to do next , but at last concluded to return to the islet and await Morton 's arrival , being anxious to avoid the risk of any further division of our numbers . We accordingly retraced our way thither : supposing that Morton would have set out before we could reach the cabin , and that we might pass each other on the way without knowing it , if we should proceed down the stream to meet him , we remained quietly at the islet , keeping a vigilant and somewhat nervous look-out on every side . He arrived about noon , having started rather sooner than had been agreed upon . On being informed of the tracks which had been discovered , he said that we ought at once to trace them as far as we were able . `` We must not rest , '' said he , `` until we know something more of this , even if we have to traverse every inch of ground on the island . '' Browne was inclined to infer from the foot-prints , that the interior , and the eastern part of the island , of which we as yet knew nothing , were inhabited , and that our companions had fallen into the hands of the natives .