Smith let go of Panton’s legs, and Wriggs unclasped his hands to place them to his mouth and give forth a tremendous yell.
“Ahoy! Ship ahoy!” he cried.
“Ahoy!” came from very near at hand, followed by a couple more distant calls, and another so faint as hardly to be heard.
“Ahoy! Here away!” shouted Smith, and the next minute there were footsteps, and a familiar voice said,—“Where are you?”
“Here!” cried Drew eagerly.
“Thank goodness!” cried Mr Rimmer. “Found you at last. I was afraid something had happened to you, gentlemen. Ahoy!”
His shout, intended to rally his followers, was echoed four times, and as soon as he had replied he turned to the breathless party.
“Hallo, gentlemen, been running?” he cried. “I didn’t like to leave you longer for fear anything might have gone wrong, so I came on with half a dozen men. How plaguey dark. Hallo! Where’s Mr Lane?”
There was an ominous silence and Mr Rimmer repeated his question.
“Don’t say anything has happened to the lad,” he cried.