“Neither was I there,” he said, with a strange feeling of being puzzled assailing him.
“You said poled up the stream, not pulled, sir,” said the man. “I didn’t think when I spoke.”
“How absurd!” said Murray. “Here, let’s go out this way round to the front and hail the cutter. The boat-keepers will know.”
“It’s all right, sir,” said May, for there was a rustling sound at the back and light steps, and the man exclaimed, “Here’s one of them.”
“Why, it’s one of our lads,” said Murray excitedly.
“There’s a bell ringing somewhere, sir,” said the sailor, who now came out of the deep shadow at the back of the cottage. “Was it you, messmate?”
“Yes, my lad,” said Tom, speaking to his brother sailor, but staring hard at his officer the while. “This here’s the bell, lad, and it was me.”