ey must."

"Then isn't it possible for them to have held on, sailing all they knew,
and made for some other river or creek running into the shore right up
perhaps into some lagoon or lake known only to themselves, and where we
could not follow, knowing so little as we do of the country?"

"Oh, I say," cried Roberts, "what a miserable old prophet of ill you
are, Frank! You shouldn't go on like that. Haven't we been
disappointed enough, without coming in for worse things still? You
might as well stick to it that the lugger has been sunk."

"I can't, old fellow," said Murray, "for I honestly believe--"

"Oh, bother your honest beliefs!" cried Roberts pettishly. "Be
dishonest for once in a way. You might give us a bit of sunshine to
freshen us up. Haven't we got enough to go through yet, with the
captain fuming over our failure and being ready to bully us till all's
blue?"

"Can't help it, old fellow; I must say what I feel. But there, we
needn't talk, for we shall soon know now."

The lieutenant was of the same opinion, for he suddenly rose from where
he was seated, and pressing the sheets on one side as he went forward he
made for the bows, where he stood looking out where the mouth of the
river became a wide estuary, and then came back to his place in the
stern sheets, and as he sat down he pointed past the sails.

"There, gentlemen," he said; "there lies the _Seafowl_, in quite a
different position; but there is no lugger."

"No, sir, but there lies the second cutter," cried Roberts; and he
pointed to where their fellow boat was sailing far away and close in
shore. "That means she had been chasing the _lugger_ until a lucky shot
from the sloop sunk her."

"No, my lad," said the officer gravely. "I hold to Mr Murray's idea--
that the second cutter chased the scoundrels till they dodged into one
of their lairs, and they have by this time penetrated far up the
country, perhaps been able to get round by some back way through some
forest labyrinth to where the plantation house is."

"Well, sir, we know our way better now," said Murray, "and we must go
again. Better luck next time."

"Thank you, Mr Murray. Better luck next time. Now to hear what the
captain has to say!"

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

MR ALLEN'S VISIT.

The captain had too much to say when the first cutter's crew went on
board and learned that matters had taken place just as had been
anticipated, the lugger having suddenly glided out o