met with a quiet shake of the
head, and go on again.

But about half-an-hour before sundown, just when festivities were at
their height on shore, and the men were for the most part idling about,
leaning over the bulwarks and watching as much of the proceedings as
they could see, the two lads, after an hour's rest below, having
returned to their look-out, Fitz suddenly exclaimed--

"There she is! But she doesn't look grey."

"No," replied Poole eagerly. "What there is of her looks as if turned
to gold." Then loudly, "Sail ho!" though there was not a sail in sight,
only the steamer's funnel slowly coming into sight from behind one
headland and beginning to show her smoke.

All was activity now, the men starting to their different places at the
bulwarks, and eagerly listening to the skipper's "Where away?"

"Coming round the south headland," replied Poole.

"That's right," said the skipper. "I can see her now."

"Well?" said Burgess.

"I shan't move yet. It will be pitch-dark in less than an hour. We can
see her plainly enough with the open sea beyond her, but like as not
they can't see us, lying close up here under the land. The chances are
that they won't see us at all, and then we can run out in the darkness;
and I suppose you will have no difficulty in avoiding the rocks?"

"Oh, I don't know," said the mate coolly. "Like as not I may run spang
on to them in the dark. I shan't, of course, if I can help it."

"No," said the skipper dryly; "I suppose not."

Their task ended, the boys slid down to the deck once more, and somehow
the thought of his anomalous position on board the schooner did not
trouble the middy for the time being, for he was seaman enough to be
intensely interested in their position, and as eager as Poole for their
escape.

"Do you think the sun's going down as quickly as usual?" he said
suddenly; and his companion laughed.

"What's that for?" said Fitz. "Did I say something comic?"

"Comic or stupid, whichever you like."

"Bah!" ejaculated Fitz angrily, feeling more annoyed with himself than
with Poole.

"Why of course she is going down at her usual rate."

"Sun's a he," said Fitz. "It isn't the moon."

"Thankye. You have grown wise," replied Poole sarcastically. "Do you
know, I should have almost known that myself. But bother all this! I
want to see the canvas shaken out ready for making a start."

"Very stupid too," said Fitz.

"Why?"

"Because the people on