“It is right, sare,” said Jacques quietly. “I took ze boys avay and kept them as prisonaire.”
“Absurd!” said the lieutenant haughtily. “Now then: away with that boat. Smart there, my lads!”
The boat was rowed rapidly back to fetch the rest of the prisoners, and the lieutenant came forward to where his first batch was ranged, to inspect them previous to sending them below.
“You’re not going to send us down with them, are you?” said Mike indignantly.
“What?” roared the lieutenant in a rage: “why, you insolent, ruffianly young thief of a smuggler!”
“No, he isn’t,” cried Vince fiercely; “he’s as much a gentleman as you are.”
“Indeed!” said the lieutenant sarcastically: “perhaps he’s a nobleman, sir?”
“I don’t mean that,” said Vince sharply; “but he’s Sir Francis Ladelle’s son.”
“What, of the Crag?”
“Yes. We found out the smugglers’ cave by accident, and they came and caught us, and have kept us ever since.”