He turned off and left us, but I saw him give Bigley a very friendly nod and smile as he went away, and I felt sure that he rather admired what Bigley had done, though he kept up the idea of being very fierce and indignant with him for striking an officer of the royal navy.
As soon as we were well alone Bob Chowne threw himself on the ground and began to laugh and wipe his eyes.
“Oh, what a game!” he cried, as he rolled about. “Didn’t old Big run?”
“Enough to make anybody run when a bullet was after him,” I said.
“But how he did go up the rocks. Just like a big rabbit. I say, Big, you were frightened.”
“Yes, that I was,” said Bigley frankly; “I don’t know when I felt so scared. Made sure he would hit me, and then that the sailors would cut me down with their swords.”
This disappointed Bob, who had fully expected to hear a denial of the charge of fear, and he sat up and stared at the speaker, who turned to me then.
“Why, Sep,” he said, “they must have worked hard in the night to get all those things away. Do you know, I’m sure that must have been the Hirondelle. I wonder how they managed to get off.”
“I know,” I said suddenly.
“Yah! Not you,” cried Bob. “Hark at old cock Solomon, who knows everything.”