Chapter Thirty.
Better Luck Next Time.
“Why, where have you been?” cried the second lieutenant, as the two boats ran alongside. “The captain’s been nearly mad with excitement and anxiety.”
“Oh, don’t ask me,” cried Mr Anderson. “But tell me this, has the stream forked anywhere as you came up?”
“Yes, once: about a mile lower down; but the river was very shallow and insignificant, and I did not think it was worth while to explore there. But why?”
“Shallow—insignificant!” said the lieutenant bitterly. “It was big and important enough to float a large lugger—the one we are pursuing.”
“The one that we saw at the mouth of the river when we entered the bay? I was wondering where that had gone as we came up.”
“No doubt the same,” replied Mr Anderson. “Well, you’ve let the enemy slip, Munday.”
“Nonsense! You don’t mean that, man?”