“No,” said Poole, leaning back and gazing upwards. “I think that would be impossible.”
“Well,” said Fitz, “what do you say to this? Man the boats after dark, row out to the gunboat, board her, and take her. Now, I think that would be grand.”
“Oh yes, grand enough; but she’s a man-of-war with small guns as well as the big one, and a large, well-drilled crew. No, no, they would be too keenly on the watch. I don’t believe we could do that. I’ve a good mind to mention it, though, to father. No, I won’t. He’d have thought of that, and he’d only look upon it as so much impudence, coming from me.”
“I dunno,” said Fitz. “Here he comes. Try.”
“Here, you two,” said the skipper, coming close up to them; “I have a nice little job for you. Take four men, Poole, and drop down in a boat cautiously. Don’t be seen, and get down to where you can watch the gunboat till dark, and then come back here and report what you have made out. Of course if they make any movement you come back directly and let me know.”
These orders put all farther scheming out of the lads’ heads, and a very short time afterwards Poole had selected Chips and three other men, and the boat was gliding down with the current, each bend being cautiously rounded in the expectation of the enemy being seen once more ascending the river. But the last headland was passed with the boat kept well under shelter of the overhanging growth, and the open sea lay before them; and there, about two miles away, and exactly opposite the mouth of the river, lay the gunboat with a film of smoke rising from her funnel, indicating that steam was being kept up, while by means of the glass that this time had not been left behind, they could plainly make out that she was lying at anchor, keeping watch upon the shore.
“There,” said Poole, “I’ll be bound to say she’s just at the mouth of the channel by which we came in, and as close as she dare come. We should look nice sailing down nearer and nearer to her. Bah! We should never get half-way there.”
“Well, what’s to be done?” said Fitz.
“What we were told. Make ourselves comfortable till the sun’s just beginning to go down, and then get back as quickly as we can.—Make her fast, my lads, with the painter—there, to that branch, only so that we can slip off in a minute, for we may have to go in a hurry at any time.”
This was done, and they watched and waited in silence, keeping well out of sight behind the shrubby growth, from the knowledge that the mouth of the river was certain to be carefully scanned by those on board the gunboat with their glasses.