Part 24 (1/2)

Several attempts were made to do the latter, for the stripping to swim with the loss of our clothes was not a course to be thought upon with equanimity; and though we shouted and waved handkerchiefs, the lugger pursued its slow way, and it was quite plain that we were not seen.

Meanwhile the water was steadily rising up the sides of our little island rock, and our position was beginning to wear a more serious aspect.

”We shall have to swim ash.o.r.e, boys,” said Bigley, speaking in a tone which seemed to indicate that he would rather do anything else.

He looked towards the cliff as he spoke, and being so much taller than we, of course he had a much better view.

”Oh!” he exclaimed, with a look of horror, ”the tide is round both points, and we shall have to swim right along ever so far before we can land.”

”No, no,” cried Bob, ”let's swim straight in.”

”I tell you,” cried Bigley, ”if we do, we shall be drowned.”

”What nonsense!” cried Bob. ”Why, we'd climb up the rocks.”

”There is not a place where you could climb,” said Bigley gloomily. ”I know every yard all along here, and there isn't a single spot where you could get up the cliff.”

”It's too far to swim,” I said gloomily. ”I know I can't go so far as that. Could you, Bob?”

He shook his head.

”Oh, yes, you could,” cried Bigley excitedly. ”It would be swimming with the stream, you know, and it would carry us along--I mean the tide would, and you've only got to think you could do it, and you would.”

Bob Chowne shook his head, and I began to feel chilled and oppressed by the task we had before us.

”No, I couldn't swim so far,” cried Bob suddenly. ”It would take a strong man who could keep on for hours to do that.”

”I tell you that you could do it,” cried Bigley, who seemed to be quite pa.s.sionate now. ”Don't talk like that, Bob, or you'll frighten Sep Duncan out of trying.”

”I'm not going to try,” I said gloomily. ”It would be no use. I could swim to the sh.o.r.e but not round the point.”

”What's the good of talking like that?” cried Bigley. ”You both can swim it, and you must.”

”Why, I don't believe you could, Big,” cried Bob in a whimpering tone.

”I do,” said the great fellow doggedly, ”and I'm going to try, and so are you two fellows.”

”That we are not,” we cried together.

”Yes, you are, for it's our only chance, unless they see us from the boat. You'll have to try, for the water will be up and over here before long, and what will you do then?”

”Drown, I s'pose,” said Bob.

”Nonsense!” cried Bigley, who astonished us by the eager business way he had put on. ”Who's going to stand still and drown, when he can swim to a safe place? Here, let's try and get 'em to see us aboard the lugger,”

he cried. ”All together! Let's wave our caps and handkerchiefs.”

We did all wave our caps and handkerchiefs, together and separately, but the boat went slowly on, as if there was no one in danger, and we turned and looked at each other in despair.

”They must be asleep,” said Bob angrily. ”Oh, it's too bad.”

”No,” said Bigley sadly. ”They can't be asleep, because there's someone steering, and someone else attending to the sails when they go about.