Part 52 (1/2)
_Murmur, murmur, murmur_--and then silence
The speakers had evidently turned away from the mouth of the seal hole, and the boys did not hear the end of the sentence
”Oh!” groaned Mike faintly
”I say, Ladle, if you make a noise like that they'll hear you, and come and fetch us out”
”I couldn't help it How horrid it sounds!”
”Yes,” said Vince very softly, ”but he has got to catch us yet Who's old Jarks? Here, I know: they mean the Frenchman: Jacks--Jacques, don't you see?”
”Yes, I see,” said Mike dismally
”He's the skipper, of course French skipper with an English crew
They must be a nice set I say, do you feel cold?”
”Cold? I don't feel as if I had any feet at all”
”We rih, Mike don't be down about it He's only a French to let him catch us, are we?”
”It's horrible,” said Mike ”Why, he'll kill us!”
”He hasn't caught us yet, I tell you, lad Look here: we know everything about the caves now, and we can go anywhere in the dark, can't we?”
”Yes, I suppose so,” said Mike dismally
”Very well, then; we must wait till it's dark, and then creep out and make for the way out”
”Is no way out now: it's either stopped up or watched”
”Well, then, we'll get out by the lers' cave, and creep up on to the cliffs soet to the cliffs you knoe shouldn't be able to climb up We're not flies”
”Who said ere? Well, you are a cheerful sort of fellow to be with!”
”I don't want to be miserable, Cinder, old chap, but it does seem as if we're in a hole now”
”See one too,” said Vince, laughing softly
”Ah, I can't see anything to joke about It's awful--awful! Cinder, we shall never see hoain”
”Bah! A deal you know about it, Ladle That French chap daren't shoot us or drown us He knows he'd be hung if he did”