If anything of the sort could be seen, it might become absolutely necessary for the party to make their way toward it, either by land or sea, no matter how great the fatigue or the danger, and without regard to the fate of those who had left camp before them.
About half an hour afterwards, when the captain had mounted some rocks near by, from which he thought he might get a view of the flat region to the north on which he might discover the missing negro, Ralph, who was looking seaward, gave a start, and then hurriedly called to his sister and Mrs.Cliff, and pointed to the beach.

There was the figure of a man which might well be Maka, but, to their amazement and consternation, he was running, followed, not far behind, by another man.

The figures rapidly approached, and it was soon seen that the first man was Maka, but that the second figure was not one of the sailors who had left them.
Could he be pursuing Maka?
What on earth did it mean?
For some moments Ralph stood dumfounded, and then ran in the direction in which the captain had gone, and called to him.
At the sound of his voice the second figure stopped and turned as if he were about to run, but Maka--they were sure it was Maka--seized him by the arm and held him.

Therefore this newcomer could not be pursuing their man.

As the two now came forward, Maka hurrying the other on, Ralph and his two companions were amazed to see that this second man was also an African, a negro very much like Maka, and as they drew nearer, the two looked as if they might have been brothers.
The captain had wandered farther than he had intended, but after several shouts from Ralph he came running back, and reached the camp-ground just as the two negroes arrived.
At the sight of this tall man bounding toward him the strange negro appeared to be seized with a wild terror.