“Yes, sir; and I have been thinking that he would be a valuable help to us in guiding us through the mazes of this strange place.”
“Let’s see first, Mr Murray, whether he will be any help to us in finding where the prisoner is. Call him here.”
“I have been trying to use him in that way, sir.”
“Humph!” ejaculated the lieutenant angrily. “Then now let Mr Roberts try. Here, Roberts!”
The midshipman stepped up to the officer quickly, after hearing every word that had been said.
“You called me, sir?”
“Of course I did, sir,” said the lieutenant sharply, and speaking as if annoyed with himself for what he had been about to do. “Go back to the boat. Sharp!” The lad’s eyes flashed with annoyance as he went back, and the chief officer turned his back and jerked his head to Murray. “Here,” he said, “you had better go on with this, my lad; it is your affair.”
“Thank you, sir,” said the lad, heaving a sigh of relief.
“Not much to thank me for, Murray,” said the chief officer kindly, “but you’ve made a horrible mess of this business. Now then, the black fellow.”
Murray made a sign to the black, who had been listening all through with his eyes seeming to start out of his head, and he sprang out of the boat and hurried to his side.