“Dale; and the three men are with me.”
“Can you force off one of these boards?”
“No. Who is it?” I said.
I was almost sure when I asked the question, and my ideas were confirmed. It was Mr Brymer speaking, and he told me that Mr Preddle, Mr Frewen, and the captain were with him.
That was good news, but he had not told me all.
“Where is Miss Denning?” I asked.
“With her brother in their cabin still, I think. Now look here, Dale, we will try and pull out one of these boards, and you and the others must join us here.”
I must have made his heart sink in despair the next minute, when I told him that it was impossible, and said how I had had to struggle to get to him.
“Then either you or we must get out, and the party that gets on deck must help the other. Wait a minute.”
I waited, and heard the sound of boring, and a few minutes later, as I kept a hand upon the board, I felt the point of a knife or gimlet working its way through.