Nothing was more certain than that an unremitting watch would be kept upon the Coral, and, though they might believe there was but the single man there, yet unquestionably he commanded the situation.
“They will try some trick,” muttered the mate; “but I shall have a very small opinion of myself if they win. Pomp Cooper’s affection for Inez led him 126 to interfere, when his interference accomplished a good deal more than he imagined. Ah!”
At that moment the mate heard a ghostly “Halloo!” from the shore, and he recognized the voice as belonging to Pomp.
“Just as I suspected,” said Storms, to himself; “they’re using the negro as a cat’s-paw. Well, I’ll see what they are driving at.”
Imitating the tones of Captain Bergen as closely as possible, the mate shouted:
“What do you want?”
“Am you dere?” was the rather superfluous question.
“Yes.”
“Won’t you let me come on board?”
“What for?”