"Not a doubt of it," agreed Ben.
"There's nothing we've forgotten? We're all ready to leave harbour?"
"We're all set," said Ben.
"Well, we haven't got much longer to wait."
They kept to the Nancy all day. During the afternoon there was some slight activity on board the Mary. Pierre was seen to go on shore and to return twice in three hours. Then there was once more a cessation of movement, and the calm that precedes action lay over the ship. Not over the harbour, however. A nice breeze from the south-west kept up its strength and showed no sign of dying out with the approach of night.
At six o'clock Dare, watching the Mary, saw a haze of smoke issuing from her quarter, about half-way down to her waterline. This puzzled him at first. Then he turned to Ben, enlightened.
"She's got an engine, petrol-burning," he said. "That'll make it hard for us if there comes a calm."
Ben sniffed at the weather, lifting his nose to the sky dog-fashion. "Rest easy," he said, "the wind will last."
"I've a hunch she'll leave soon," returned Dare, and went below to put on a jacket. He had not been there three minutes when Ben showed his head down the companion-way.
"The crew's on deck, breakin' out the anchor."