the green wedge.

"You are taking a great deal of trouble, Tom," said Murray impatiently.

"It's wuth it, sir--trust me if it arn't," said the man. "Saves time in
the end; and I'm beginning to think as we're in the right cut at last."

"Give way, then, my men, and let's prove it," cried the middy
impatiently, for the time was passing swiftly, and the horrible feeling
grew upon him that before long some one would appear from the _Seafowl_
to demand where the prisoner was.

The men thrust the boat swiftly across the pondlike place, for on the
other side the reeds seemed to have been lately disturbed; but here
there was another disappointment, for though the bamboos which rose up
had certainly been broken away recently, they grew together so densely
that all efforts to pass through were vain, and Tom May declared at last
that it was only another blind meant to deceive.

"Let's try t'other side, sir," he said, screwing up his face.

"No, no; that looks so easy," said Murray.

"That's some one's artfulness, sir. Let's try; it won't take long."

Murray was ready enough to try any advice now so long as it seemed good,
and the word being given, the two boat-keepers placed their oars in the
rowlocks and rowed straight at the indicated place, with the result that
they had to unship their oars, for the boat glided right through the
light reeds, which gave way readily here, and almost directly after the
rowing was resumed again, and they found themselves in comparatively
open water for a couple of hundred yards.

"This won't want no marking, sir," whispered Tom.

"Mark it all the same, my lad, when we pass out."

"I will, sir, but we've hit the right way at last. Look how it rounds
to starboard at the end, sir. I believe we're going into big water
directly.--There you are, sir," added the man in a whisper, as, after
rowing swiftly onward for nearly a quarter of a mile, the boat glided
round a bend, where, to the midshipman's great delight, they came in
sight of what was pretty evidently the long narrow barge in which the
planter had paid his visit to the _Seafowl_.

The well-made, nattily painted craft was lying well away from the reeds
which shut in the open water, moored by a rope whose grapnel was sunk
not far distant, and Murray held up his hand to impress the need for
silence.

"See the crew ashore anywhere, sir?" asked Tom May.

"No; I believe they're all on board asleep. Run her up quietly."

The men o