Part 64 (1/2)
”No, nor your father either,” said Mike sadly ”I don't think anything of that,” continued Vince; ”what I do think a great deal of is that neither you nor I, who've always been cli shouldn't have found it out before”
”But surely noe'rethey'll find it out,” cried Mike, as ready to snatch at any straw of hope
”I don't see how,” said Vince ”They're sure to think that one of usto save hi which he stood gazing wistfully at his fellow-prisoner
”That would be very nice of them to think that of us,” he said at last, slowly ”But do you think they would believe us likely to be so brave?”
”Oh yes, they'd think so,” said Vince quickly--”I' brave It's only what two felloould do one for the other It's what English chaps always do, of course, but it's likea lot of fuss about it to call it brave I should say it's what a fellow should do, that's all”
”And no one knows--no one saw us go to the hole,” said Mike bitterly
”Oh, I say, Vince, we have made a mess of it to keep it a secret”
”Yes, we have, and no htfully ”Don't you think Lobster ht know, and tell them?”
”No, I'm sure he can't Of course old Joe knows; but he won't speak, because if he did, and told the truth, the captain here would be ready to shoot him”
”And my father would have him locked up, and tried for what he has done”
”Yes,” said Vince, nodding his head; ”Joe won't speak--youfor that crab, and were so still, some one must have come across the cave behind us and never knoere there”
”Yes, and then ere caught as fast as the crab was and--”
”_Eh bien, ry for your dinner?”
”Not very,” said Vince, turning sharply as the skipper came silently up behind them ”We feel as if we should like to dine at hoarcon_ Not ven I ask you to have dine vis ive us, for it is long time since ze _dejeuner_ and ve have lais_ say You like ze sea?”
”Yes,” said Vince; ”both of us do”
”And you can reef and furl ze sail?”
”Yes, we've often been in a boat”
”Brava! it is good; and, aha! ze brave cook go to prepare ze cabin for ze dinnaire You sall bose be ht of one of the lugger's boats, and noticed that it was particularly broad and punt-like inload and at the same time draw little water--a shape that would save it fro over rocks, and also be very convenient for running in and landing upon the sands
This boat was very heavily laden with bales, carefully ranged and stacked, while the boat's gunas so close to the surface that a lurch would have caused the water to flow in
But the ed her seemed to be quite accustomed to their task; and after a sharp look directed at them by the skipper, he paid no h, with the boys; who, having ideas of their own connected with escaping from their position, watched the approach of the boat with intense curiosity, wondering how it could be rowed so easily against a current which ran with such tremendous force
”I can't make it out,” said Vince, as the boat came closer, and apparently with very little effort on the part of theby which the prisoners had been brought on board