Part 28 (1/2)

”Then they'll see us again at daylight.”

”Think so? Why, we have got all the night before us, and the gunboat's captain isn't likely to follow in our wake.”

”I suppose not. It would be a great chance if he did. How beautiful the water is to-night!”

”Yes! One had no chance to admire it before. 'Tis fine. Just as if two rockets were going off from our bows, so that we seem to be leaving a trail of sparks behind.”

”Yes, where the water's disturbed,” said Fitz. ”It's just as if the sea was covered with golden oil ready to flash out into light as soon as it was touched.”

”Why, you seem quite cheery,” said Poole.

”Of course. Isn't it natural after such a narrow escape?”

”Yes, for me,” replied Poole banteringly; ”but I should have thought that you would have been in horribly low spirits because you were not captured and taken on board the gunboat.”

”No, you wouldn't,” said Fitz shortly. ”I know better than that. I say, you will stop on deck all night, won't you?”

”Of course. Shan't you?”

”Oh yes. I couldn't go to sleep after this. Besides, who can tell what's to come?”

”To be sure,” said Poole quietly. ”Who can tell what's to come? In spite of what old Burgess says, the gunboat may have a consort, and perhaps we are running out of one danger straight into another.”

Perhaps due to the reaction after the excitement, the lads ceased to chat together, and leaned over the bows, alternately watching the phosph.o.r.escent sea and the horizon above which the stars appeared dim and few.

Fitz looked more thoughtful as the time went on, his own words seeming to repeat themselves in the question--Who knows what might happen?

Once they turned aft, to look right astern at where they caught sight once or twice of the gunboat's light. Then it faded out and they went forward again, the schooner gliding swiftly on, till at last the mate's harsh, deep voice was heard giving his orders for an alteration of their course.

It was very dark inboard, and it was not until afterwards that the two lads knew exactly what had taken place. It was all in a moment, and how it happened even the sufferer hardly knew, but it was all due to a man having stepped in the darkness where he had no business to be; for just after the giving of the order, and while the spokes were swinging through the steersman's hands, one of the booms swung round, there was a dull thud, a half-uttered shout, and then a yell from one of the foremost men.

”Man overboard!” was roared, and as the skipper ran forward, after shouting to the steersman to throw the schooner up into the wind, another man answered his eager question with--

”It's Bob Jackson, sir. I saw him go.”

The captain's excited voice rang out mingled with the shrill whistle of the boatswain's pipe, and then to be half-drowned by his hoa.r.s.e roar as the men's feet pattered over the deck, now rapidly growing level as the pressure was taken off the sails.

”Now then, half-a-dozen of you!” came hoa.r.s.ely. ”Don't stand staring there! Are you going to be all night lowering down that boat? Sharp's the word! I am going to show you the way.”

As he spoke, Fitz had a dim vision of the big bluff fellow's action, as, pulling out his knife, he opened it with his teeth.

”Sharks below there!” he roared. ”'Ware my knife!” and running right astern he sprang on to the rail, looked round for a moment, fixed his eyes upon a luminous splash of light that had just taken Fitz's attention, and then sprang overboard into the black water, which splashed up like a fountain of fire, and the bluff sailor's figure, looking as if clad in garments of lambent gold, could be seen gliding diagonally down, forming a curve as it gradually rose to the surface, which began to emit little plashes of luminosity as the man commenced to swim.

”Well done! Bravo!” panted Fitz, and then he rushed to the spot where the men were lowering down, sprang on to the bulwark, caught at the falls, and slipped down into the boat just as it kissed the water.

”You here!” cried a familiar voice.

”Yes,” panted Fitz, ”and you too!”

”Why, of course! Pull away, my lads. I'll stand up and tell you which way to go.”