Part 53 (1/2)

It must, I say, have been for nearly three hours that the busy scene lasted, and a large body of men kept on plas.h.i.+ng to and fro with loads from the vessel to the cavern and back empty-handed. Everything seemed to be done as quietly as if the men were well accustomed to the task.

Not a word was spoken, except by one who seemed to be leader, and the only sounds we heard were the tramping upon the slate-sprinkled sand and the splas.h.i.+ng as they waded in to reach the vessel's side.

It was evident enough that they were landing quite a store of something of another from the vessel, and I knew enough of such matters to be sure that it was a smuggler running a cargo. For the first few minutes I felt that it must be the French coming to take us unawares; but the French would have landed men, not packages and little barrels.

It was a smuggler sure enough, and hence my father's strict order to be silent, for the smugglers had not a very good character in our parts, and ugly tales were told of how they had not scrupled to kill people who had interfered with them when busy over their dangerous work.

I was watching them eagerly, when, all at once, I turned cold and s.h.i.+vered, for it had suddenly struck me that old Jonas was away with his lugger, and that this must be it landing its cargo, while all the time, so close to me that I could have stretched out my hand and touched him, there lay my school-fellow--the old smuggler's son.

”He must suspect him,” I said to myself; and then, ”What must he feel?”

And all the while there below us was the busy scene--the men coming and going and the cargo being landed, till all at once there was a cessation. Those who returned from the cave stayed about the vessel, and seemed, as far as we could make out, to be climbing on board, and as I suddenly seemed to be making out their figures a little more clearly, my father whispered, ”Lie down, boys, or you will be seen. The day is beginning to dawn.”

We obeyed him silently, and lay watching, seeing every minute more clearly that the dark-looking vessel, which loomed up very big, was being thrust out with long oars, and beginning to glide slowly away in a thick mist which hung over the sea a hundred yards or so from sh.o.r.e.

Then as it reached and began to fade, as it were, into the mist, first one then another dark patch rose from the deck.

”Hoisting sail,” I said to myself. ”Two big lug-sails. It is the _Saucy La.s.s_--old Jonas's lugger, and it looks big through the fog.”

Just then in the coming grey dawn I saw another patch rise up, following a creaking noise, and I could make out that it was a third sail, when I knew that it could not be the _Saucy La.s.s_, but must be a stranger.

I was so glad, for Bigley's sake, that my heart gave quite a heavy throb; and, unless I was very much deceived, I heard my father draw a long breath like a sigh of relief.

As we gazed at the sails and the dark hull in the increasing light, everything looked so strange and indistinct that it seemed impossible for it all to be real. The sails began to fill, and the vessel glided silently away without a voice on board being heard, till it was so far-off that my father said:

”I think we may begin to talk, my lads, now.”

”I say, sir,” cried Bob excitedly, ”weren't those smugglers?”

”I cannot say,” replied my father coldly.

”Let's get down now and look,” said Bob.

”I think,” said my father, ”that we had better leave everything alone, and, as soon as the tide will allow us, get home to breakfast. You, Bob Chowne, if I were you, I should keep my own counsel about this, and you too, Sep.”

I noticed that he did not say anything to Bigley, who was kneeling down gazing after the vessel in the mist which was dying away about the land, and appeared to be going off with the vessel, surrounding it and trying to hide it from those on sh.o.r.e, as with the faint breeze and the swift tide it glided rapidly away.

Soon after there was a warm glow high up in the east. Then hundreds of tiny clouds began to fleck the sky with orange, the sea became glorious with gold and blue, the sun peeped above the edge, and it was day once more, with the vessel a couple of miles away going due west.

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

DOING ONE'S DUTY.

We did not have to stay very long before we descended. My father said it would be better to stop, and while we were waiting Bob Chowne asked whether we were going to search the cave and see what was there.

”No!” said my father in very decisive tones.

”But you said something about us lads exploring it, sir, yesterday--I mean last night.”

”Yes, my lad, I did,” replied my father so sternly that Bob Chowne was quite silenced; ”but I have changed my mind.”