At the end of chapter 4, Mafatu realizes that the "eaters-of-men" have arrived. At the beginning of chapter 5, he crouches in the darkness to assess their arrival. Thunder drowns out the growls of his dog Uri as Mafatu looks down into the cleared circle of Sacred Place, and he hears the "deep wild chanting" of the men above their drums. Mafatu counts their war canoes:

From his vantage point Mafatu saw six war canoes drawn up on the beach. Mighty canoes they were, with high- curving stems and decorations of white shell that caught the firelight in savage patterns.

Many men have arrived, filling six entire war canoes. The figures which have emerged from those boats dance and leap around a fire, and the scene is increasingly ominous.

The canoes have carried men to this island who now have "war clubs," and Mafatu feels "Doom itself breathing chill upon his neck." He realizes that he must flee from this imminent danger and begins running just as four figures tear toward him through the jungle's foliage.

Mafatu scrambles to his own canoe which sits at the edge of the lagoon and shoves it into the water. The figures return to their own canoes, and Mafatu soon finds that those war canoes which sat at the Sacred Place are now pursuing him. This requires Mafatu to summon incredible strength and wit as he attempts to save his own life despite being chased by many skilled warriors.