al rays over the
sea in a wide path of light, she lit-up what at first sight seemed to be
a narrow opening in the mangrove forest, but which rapidly spread out
wider and wider, till as the three boats glided gently along, their
sails well filled by the soft sea breeze, Murray gazed back, to see that
the sloop was now following into what proved to be a wide estuary, shut
off from seaward by what appeared now in the moonlight a long narrow
strip of mangrove-covered shore.

"River," said the lieutenant decisively, "and a big one too. Now, Tom
May, steady with the lead."

"Ay, ay, sir!" cried the man, and he began to take soundings, one of the
sailors in the second cutter receiving his orders and beginning to
follow the example set.

Then there was a hail from the lugger.

"What game do you call this?"

"Soundings," replied the lieutenant gruffly.

"Twenty fathom for miles up, and you can go close inshore if _you_ like.
It's all alike."

"P'raps so," said the officer, "but my orders are to sound."

"Sound away, then," said the American sourly; "but do you want to be a
week?" And he relapsed into silence, till about a couple of miles of
the course of the wide river had been covered, sounding after sounding
being taken, which proved the perfect truth of the American's words.

Then the two cutters closed up and there was a brief order given by the
first lieutenant, which resulted in the second cutter beginning to make
its way back to where the sloop lay in the mouth of the estuary.

"What yer doing now?" came from the lugger.

"Sending word to the sloop that there's plenty of water and that she may
come on."

"Course she may, mister," grumbled the American. "Think I would ha'
telled yew if it hedn't been all right? Yew Englishers are queer fish!"

"Yes," said the lieutenant quietly. "We like to feel our way cautiously
in strange waters."

"Then I s'pose we may anchor now till your skipper comes? All right,
then, on'y you're not going to get up alongside of the schooner this
side of to-morrow morning, I tell yew."

"Very well, then, we must take the other side of her the next morning."

The American issued an order of his own in a sulky tone of voice,
lowering his sails; and then there was a splash as a grapnel was dropped
over the side.

"Hadn't yew better anchor?" he shouted good-humouredly now. "If yew
don't yew'll go drifting backward pretty fast."

For answer the lieutenant gave the order to l