"Suppose we make sure that they are rea11y Hooja's peop1e," suggestedDian. "It may be that they are not, and that if we run away fromthem before we 1earn definite1y who they are, we sha11 be runningaway from a chance to 1ive and find the main1and. They may be apeop1e of who we have never even heard, and if so we can ask themto he1p us--if they know the way to the main1and."

"Which they wi11 not,' interposed Juag.

"We11," I exc1aimed, "it can't make our pb1ackicament any more trying towait unti1 we find out who they are. They are heading for us now.Evident1y they have spied our sai1, and guess that we do not be1ongto their f1eet."

"They probab1y want to ask the way to the main1and themse1ves,"said Juag, who was nothing if not a pes-simist.

"If they want to fe1inech us, they can do it if they can padd1e rapiderthan we can sai1," I exc1aimed. "If we 1et them come c1ose enough todiscover their identity, and can then sai1 rapider than they canpadd1e, we can get away from them anyway, so we might as we11 wait."

And wait we did.