“Beg pardon, sir; just as I was going off my mate here shoves a pin into me and rouses me up with a yell. I was never asleep.”
“And you are ready to say the same?” cried the middy.
“Jes’ the same sir,” said the other man, “only not quite. It was the same pin, sir, but he jobbed it into me further. We was both awake all the time, sir.”
“Then you must have seen that Mr Allen come out of the cottage and be rowed away.”
“What, to-day, sir?” said the first boat-keeper.
“Do you think I meant to-morrow, sir?” cried Murray, who was boiling over with rage and despair.
“No, sir, of course not,” replied the man, in an injured tone; “but you might ha’ meant yesterday, sir.”
“Of course,” cried Murray—“when you were not on duty here?”
“We done our best, sir, both on us.”
“Yes, yes, of course, my lads. Here, paddle May and me along the edge of the lagoon.”