“Well, if I hadn’t, you’d have found the way in yonder, and I wasn’t going to let you if I could help it.”
“Ah, you’ll be hung, sir.”
“Get out!” cried Ram. “Your skipper wouldn’t hang a boy like me. Think the cutter will be long?” said the boy after a pause, during which all had been watching the flame which seemed to flow out of the opening far overhead.
“I don’t know; why?” replied Archy.
“Because she’ll have to come and take us off. This rope’s long enough, and we shall have to slide down into a boat.”
But the cutter was long. For the lugger had escaped to Holland consequent upon the White Hawk being so short-handed, and it was toward evening that she came close in to search for the crews, and all the party descended in safety to the boat, which rowed under in answer to the signals made by firing pistols.
As to the boats that passed under the archway, they were prisoned till the next low water.
“Satisfied?” said the lieutenant, after all were on board, and he had heard the report. “More than satisfied. I was horribly disappointed at losing the lugger, and I made a hard fight for it, but your news—my dear boy—my dear Mr Gurr, this is splendid! What a despatch I can write!”
“It will be the breaking up of the gang, will it not, sir?” asked Archy.
“Yes, my dear boy; and an end to this wretched work. They must promote me now, and draft you, too, into a good ship. If we can be together, Mr Raystoke, I shall be delighted.”