Chapter Forty Four.
How Matters got to the Worst.
It took Mark some minutes to get rid of the confused, half-stupefied sensation that remains after a very deep sleep when the sleeper is suddenly awakened; but as his head cleared he found himself threading his way among the rocks behind his father and crossing the lower part of the arm which separated Crater Bay from the lagoon. Once the highest part was cleared and they were descending toward the black waters the captain caught his son’s arm.
“You may speak now in a whisper,” he said. “The rocks are between us and the Malays.”
“Have they come then, father?”
“Yes; Morgan heard them come stealing along the lagoon in the darkest part of the night, and they are lying less than a quarter of a mile away.”
“Do they know we are here?”
“I hope not, my boy; but when daylight comes they are sure to come over into the bay, and—”
He stopped short, for a vivid light flashed out, and for a moment Mark could see the black bay, the wreck, the little cutter-like vessel lying by her, and a group of people down below them at the water’s edge.
“Lightning?” said Mark.