and none of the old crew
protested against it, for Hearne's inattention awkwardness had
really endangered the schooner, for a short time only.

Five or six of the Falklands sailors did, however, murmur a little.

A sign from the mate silenced them, and they returned at once to
their posts.

Needless to say, Captain Len Guy, upon hearing the cry of the
look-out man, had tumbled up from his cabin: and eagerly examined
this land at ten or twelve miles distance.

As I have said, I was no longer thinking about the secret Dirk
Peters had confided to me. Besides, so long as the secret remained
between us two--and neither would betray it--there would be
nothing to fear. But if ever an unlucky accident were to reveal to
Martin Holt that his brother's name had been changed to Parker,
that the unfortunate man had not perished in the shipwreck of the
_Grampus_, but had been sacrificed to save his companions from
perishing of hunger; that Dirk Peters, to whom Martin Holt himself
owed his life, had killed him with his own hand, what might not
happen then? This was the reason why the half-breed shrank from any
expression of thanks from Martin Holt--why he avoided Martin Holt,
the victim's brother.

The boatswain had just struck six bells. The schooner was sailing
with the caution demanded by navigation in unknown seas. There might
be shoals or reefs barely hidden under the surface on which she
might run aground or be wrecked. As things stood with the _Halbrane_,
and even admitting that she could be floated again, an accident
would have rendered her return impossible before the winter set in.
We had urgent need that every chance should be in our favour and not
one against us.

West had given orders to shorten sail. When the boatswain had furled
the top-gallant-sail, the top-sail and royal, the _Halbrane_ remained
under her mainsail, her fore-sail and her jib: sufficient canvas to
cover the distance that separated her from land in a few hours.
Captain Len Guy immediately heaved the lead, which showed a depth of
twenty fathoms. Several other soundings showed that the coast, which
was very steep, was probably prolonged like a wall under the water.
Nevertheless, as the bottom might happen to rise sharply instead of
following the slope of the coast, we did not venture to proceed out
the sounding line in hand.

The weather was still beautiful, although the sky was overcast by a
mist from south-east to souih-west. Owing to this ther