Part 61 (1/2)

”Yes; there it is again, away to the left Yes; there it goes Ahoy!”

They stopped and listened after the midshi+pman had hailed as loudly as he could; and, to the intense delight of both, the hail was responded to

Hurriedly changing their direction, they went on as rapidly as the rough ground would allow, getting an answering hail every time they shouted, and each ti toward therees these became a murether

In another ten

Mutual inquiries took place

No, the itive, but they were sure it was a boy; Dirty dick was ready to take an oath to that effect, but he was not asked

Then came the iave it as his opinion that they had been going ard, but he could give no reason why; and it was decided to continue in that direction, after Gurr had satisfied hih they learned that there had been a good deal of hailing before all were collected

They trudged on almost in silence, for the whole party earied out, till an announcealvanised them all, for suddenly dick put an end to the question of their journeying west by suddenly shouting,--

”South ho!”

”Eh? What do you mean?” cried theto an eminence dimly seen away before hiht on, we shall be in the road in less than half an hour, and at the boats ten minutes later”

”No, no, ht--Yes, it is, ht it was, as was proved a quarter of an hour later, by their striking the rough road at right angles, and there a halt was called

”Don't seeain in the dark, Mr Raystoke,” said the master; and the boatswain shook his head decisively

”All 'bout done up,” he growled

”We could do no good now,” said Archy, ”for of course I a towardtoo, and time to be aboard, Mr Raystoke There, sir, sometimes in and many o back aboard, according to orders

Forward right, my lads, and let's make the best of it”

”Never ularly in despair as I was being taken froainst you Perhaps we lers after all”

”Wish we ht!”

But they ran up against no slers on their way to the boats, which they hailed from the strand, where the water was very low; and soon after they were passing in the lowest of low spirits, out of the cove to the open channel, when once ht away in the offing they heard a gun

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

”Can't be, sir,” said Gurr, as he tried to pierce the darkness, ”because the skipperat anchor where we left him”