“That means you’re to take my place,” said the middy, telegraphing with his eyes, greatly to the improvement of his brother middy’s aspect.
“Off with you!” was the next command, and as the sailors lowered their oars, the black crew waiting received their orders to start, leading off in the direction from which they had come, the cutter following closely, while her young commander kept a sharp lookout for the mouth of the little river, which remained invisible, hidden away as it was by the dense foliage which on all hands came right down to the calm, smooth water of the great crater-like bay.
Chapter Thirty Two.
On Duty.
“I didn’t expect this,” said Murray to himself, as after sweeping the shore of the bay he once more fixed his eyes upon the well-manned boat in front; and then he started in wonder, for Tom May, who sat close to him astern, said in a low voice—
“I didn’t expect that the captain would send us off again directly, Mr Murray, sir.”
“Neither did I, Tom; and, what is more, I did not expect to hear you say that you were thinking just the same as I did.”
“Was you, sir?”