right interpretation upon it at once.

"Yes?" he said. "You wanted to ask me something?"

"Yes, sir. It's this waiting makes me want to speak. I can't stand the
doing nothing at a time like this. I'd ten times rather be on the
fight."

"So would I, Winks, if you come to that. It's a cruel strain, my lad.
Worse than being in the wildest storm. But go on; what did you want to
say?"

"Oh, only this, sir. I want you to give me orders to go round again and
give the fires a poke. You needn't come, sir. You are wanted here.
You can trust me to do the lot."

"Yes, I know that," said the skipper sternly; "but that isn't all. You
were thinking something else, and now it's come to the point you are
afraid to speak."

"How did you know that, sir?" said the man huskily.

"By your manner and the tone of your voice. What is it you are
thinking? Out with it at once."

"Well, sir, I dunno how you come to know, but it has come over me just
lately like a skeer. Aren't the young gents been much longer this
time?"

"Yes, much," replied the skipper; "or else it seems to be."

"I thought so, sir, and I've got so now that I feels as if I can't bear
it. What are you going to do, sir? Follow 'em up and see what's
wrong?"

"I shall give them ten minutes longer, Winks. I meant to stay here to
the very last, ready to give the enemy a volley and a check if they
should come on; but now the time has come to hurry on to the wharf and
wait there in the hope that the boat may still come and take us off
without further waste of time."

"But don't let me make you downhearted, sir," said the carpenter, trying
to speak cheerily. "I'm a bit of an old woman in my ways sometimes.
Maybe it's all right, after all."

"Maybe it is," said the skipper. "We are tired out and over-anxious
now. It's quite possible that we shall have them back here soon."

"Pst!" whispered the carpenter. "There's some one coming."

It was from their rear, and the next moment they were joined by Don
Ramon.

"Ah, you are here," he said. "Is it not time that the boys came back?"

"Nearly," said the skipper quietly.

"No, no," said Don Ramon; "they have been twice too long. Something
must have happened, or they would have come by now."

"Pst! Look out!" whispered the carpenter, and he cocked his rifle.
"No: all right," he continued. "It's not from the enemy's side."

He was quite right, for directly after the two boys trotted up.

"All ri