Part 2 (1/2)
As he spoke the light disappeared, and a fresh one appeared fronal was answered, the second cutter running up close to the over with impatience, for he had been compelled to check his own boat's way
”What is it?” he said to his second in coht ashore, sir?”
”No; I saw one out at sea; it's the slaver Follow us at once”
”But that light was ashore, sir”
”Mr Ramsay, do you think I'm blind? Mr Howlett, are you there?”
”Yes, sir”
”Didn't you see a light off to sea?”
”No, sir; ashore”
”I tell you it was at sea, and it is the craft we are after Now,the trees again”
”Yes, sir; shore's this way,” said the coxswain
”Then where in the nary whisper, as the tide bore therove steot into a side channel,” said Mark
”Rubbish!+ How could we?”
”Beg pardon, Mr Russell, sir,” caot into a sort of canal place with the tide running like a mill stream
Hadn't we better lie to till daybreak?”
”Better sink ourselves,” growled the lieutenant ”Here are we regularly caught in acomfortably away to sea”
”'Fraid so, sir,” said the boatswain ”That there was a light showed ashore to warn 'em that ere in the river; some of 'em must have heard”
The lieutenant made no answer, but ordered the hting the swift river, trying to extricate themselves from the muddy system of branches into which they had been carried in the darkness, but in vain; and at last, in despair, they ht ca in which they lay; and in a short time they were back in the wide river, close to the sea, dejected, weary, and wondering that they could have been so confused in the darkness
”Nice wigging we shall have, Vandean,” said the lieutenant; ”the skipper will sarcastically tell me he had better have sent one of the shi+p's boys in coh! how chilly it feels!”
An hour later they were alongside the _Nautilus_, which lay at the edge of a bank of rowing clear fro up
The lieutenant was a true prophet, for the captain almost used his officer's words
”Then you haven't seen a sign of the schooner?”
”No, sir; but we smelt it”