Part 62 (2/2)
”Not from here. It is up one of the little rivers quite hidden amongst the trees.”
”Everything seems to be hidden amongst the trees,” said the lieutenant.
”Exactly,” replied the planter, smiling; ”that is what I wish you to understand. You must trust me, sir.”
”Well,” said the captain, ”I will trust you, but you understand that you are offering to serve me at the peril of your life?”
”It is at the peril of my life I am offering to help you, sir. Ezekiel Huggins will not scruple about shooting me like a dog as soon as he finds that I am actively helping you.”
”Then I must place you under my protection.”
”If you please,” said the planter gravely. ”Your officer here will give me the credit of being upon your side from the first.”
”Yes,” said Mr Anderson; ”I do that.”
”Then I will go back home at once,” said the planter, ”and I shall look to you as a friend. It would be best if you sent a boat and men to lie up in the little river. When will you land?”
”At once,” said the captain, and he walked slowly to the gangway with his visitor, saw him into his boat, where, in quite man-o'-war fas.h.i.+on, the black crew sat with oars erect, ready to lower them with a splash and row off for a few dozen yards, and then rest while the first cutter was lowered again with a well-armed crew, including a couple of marines.
”You will take command, Mr Murray,” said the captain, ”and take note of everything, being well on your guard. I trust to your discretion.”
Murray listened, conscious the while that Roberts was looking on scowling blackly.
”In four hours you will be relieved.”
”That means you're to take my place,” said the middy, telegraphing with his eyes, greatly to the improvement of his brother middy's aspect.
”Off with you!” was the next command, and as the sailors lowered their oars, the black crew waiting received their orders to start, leading off in the direction from which they had come, the cutter following closely, while her young commander kept a sharp lookout for the mouth of the little river, which remained invisible, hidden away as it was by the dense foliage which on all hands came right down to the calm, smooth water of the great crater-like bay.
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.
ON DUTY.
”I didn't expect this,” said Murray to himself, as after sweeping the sh.o.r.e of the bay he once more fixed his eyes upon the well-manned boat in front; and then he started in wonder, for Tom May, who sat close to him astern, said in a low voice--
”I didn't expect that the captain would send us off again directly, Mr Murray, sir.”
”Neither did I, Tom; and, what is more, I did not expect to hear you say that you were thinking just the same as I did.”
”Was you, sir?”
”Yes. You didn't want to come, I suppose, after going through so much?”
”Not want to come, sir? I just did! But what sort of a game is this going to be?”
”I don't know, Tom,” replied Murray gruffly, ”only that we've got to watch this Mr Allen.”
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