“I’ve half a mind you shall.”
As he said this he came a couple of paces toward me, and I began to think any number of unpleasant things.
“I won’t be a minute,” said the other and ran down below.
Move I dare not. The man was too close to me, and the instant the other returned with a light, my discovery was certain. All I could do was to plan how to escape. I decided to lie still until actually discovered, and then trust to their astonishment, giving me time to jump over the side and swim for it.
The few seconds that followed were among the longest of my life. But just as I heard the second man coming with the lantern, some one below called to the man close to me by name.
“Gompez!”
He went a couple of steps down the companion way and replied that he was going to see that all was snug on deck, and before the words were out of his mouth I was half-way to the stern.
Then followed the grimmest game of hide and seek I have ever had to play. But the odds were on my side. The two men went carefully round the deck; but, fool-like, kept together. The light of the lantern showed me exactly where they were all the time, and by skulking from cover to cover I had little difficulty in keeping out of their way.
My movements were absolutely noiseless, and the dark grey costume I had fortunately put on made it almost impossible for them to see me.
I had one other narrow escape. I had worked my way back again to the companion while they were in the bows, when another man came out and called to them sharply to be quick. I was crouched so close to him that he could have touched me if he had stretched out a hand in my direction.