ter, and the dull rattle of the oars
in the rowlocks was carried in the silence of the night distinctly to
their ears, while the regular plash, plash, plash, as the oars dipped,
sent a thrill through Don, and at times seemed to chill his energy.

But these checks were almost momentary. There was a sense of freedom in
being away from the ship, and, in spite of the darkness, a feeling of
joyous power in being able to breast the long heaving swell, and pass on
through the water.

"Better not talk, Mas' Don," whispered Jem, as they swam; "sound goes so
easily over the water."

"No, I'm not going to talk," said Don; "I want all my breath for
swimming."

"Don't feel tired, do you?"

"Not a bit."

"That's right, lad. Stick to it steady like. Their lanthorns aren't
much good. Don't you be skeart; we can see them plain enough, but they
can't see us."

"But it seems as if they could," whispered Don, as they saw a man
standing up in the bows of one of the boats, holding a lanthorn on high.

"Yes, seems," whispered Jem; "but there's only our heads out of water,
and only the tops o' them sometimes. Say, that must ha' been fancy
about the canoe."

"No, Jem; she's somewhere about."

"Glad on it: but I wish she'd come and pick us up."

They swam on silently toward the shore, listening to the shouts of the
men, and watching alternately the lights of the boats and those of the
ship.

All at once a curious noise assailed Don's ear.

"What's the matter, Jem?" he whispered, in alarm.

"Matter?" said Jem, greatly to his relief. "Nothing, as I knows on."

"But that noise you made?"

"I didn't make no noise."

"You did, just now."

"Why, I was a-larfin' quiet-like, so as to make no row."

"Oh!"

"Thinking about them firing a volley at us in the dark. Wonder where
the bullets went?"

"Don't talk, Jem; they may hear us."

"What! A whisper like that, my lad? Not they. Boats is a long way
off, too, now."

The excitement had kept off all sense of fear, and so far Don had not
seemed to realise the peril of their position in swimming through the
darkness to land; for even if there had been a canoe coming to their
help, the lowering of the boats seemed to have scared its occupants
away, and though the sea was perfectly calm, save its soft, swelling
pulsation, there were swift currents among the islands and points,
which, though easily mastered by canoe or boat with stout rowers, would
carry in an imperceptibl