“Hem,” said Sea-hawk, “then we must prepare for her. Tell the night-watch to have a bright look-out, and get all the boats ready. How is the weather?”
“It looks as if we should have a dense fog to-night.”
“So much the better, then,” said the Smuggler Chief. “There’s nothing half so nice as a thick fog when one wants to come up to a craft unseen. Get all the boats ready, and let them be moored outside the cave for instant service.”
These orders were obeyed.
During the day great preparations were made to board and capture the long-expected East Indiaman, and a look-out man was perched high upon the rocks outside, with telescope in hand, watching the distant movements of the “Sea Spray” as she lay becalmed in the far distance, her sails lazily flapping in the foggy atmosphere.
As night approached the wind freshened, and all was wild excitement and merriment among the smugglers, who looked forward to the capture of the vessel with impatient joy.
Master Tim saw all the warlike preparations going on, and felt very uneasy.
The sight of pistols and knives, cutlasses, boarding pikes, and the like, struck terror to his soul.
But he dared not show it, or express any thought about the danger all were about to encounter.
He even tried to smile and look merry.