For one of my few accomplishments
was that I was a fast and tireless swimmer, and--provided that there
were no sharks in the neighbourhood--the half-mile of water that
intervened between me and the _Esmeralda_ was no more formidable an
obstacle than had it consisted of firm, level roadway. Judging,
however, by the present vigorous character of the singing that came
pealing across to me from the ship, the opportune moment for such an
attempt as I meditated was yet a good hour distant, and I therefore
determined to stroll leisurely back to the party at the creek, and
acquaint them with the new phase of affairs.

When at length I rejoined the group, I found that during my absence Sir
Edgar had so far completed his arrangements for the night that the maids
and the children were comfortably bestowed upon the warm, yielding sand,
fast asleep, with their heads and faces well shielded from the rays of
the moon by a small tent-like structure, consisting of a shawl stretched
over an arrangement of sticks cunningly bound together with tough,
pliant monkey-rope, while Lady Emily slumbered peacefully by her
husband's side, with his arm about her waist, while her head rested upon
his shoulder. Miss Merrivale, however, and Sir Edgar _were_ still
awake, and as I approached them the former started to her feet and, with
her finger upon her lips as she pointed to the little group of sleepers,
murmured softly--

"How long you have been! And what an eager, glad look there is in your
face! What has happened? I am sure you have good news to tell us."

"Good, thus far," I admitted, "that the ship has not yet gone to sea;
and I believe that she will not now go until to-morrow. The men appear
to have obtained possession of some liquor, and are indulging in a royal
carouse--if one may judge by the singing and noise that I heard going on
aboard when I was down at the beach--and I am not without the hope that
ere the night be much older the fellows will have drunk themselves into
a helpless state of intoxication. Now, if upon my return presently to
my late post of observation I should have reason to believe that such a
thing has happened, I shall swim quietly off to the ship, and endeavour
to get on board her without disturbing anybody; and should I be able to
manage this, my next task will be to discover and liberate the mate.
This once accomplished, it shall go hard with us if we do not succeed in
retaking the ship from the drunken ras