“I understand, sir,” said Dallas; “and I will hold the rock to the last.”
“Your courage may not be put to the test, Mr Dallas,” said the captain. “Au revoir. Make yourself and your men as comfortable as you can. I have been ashore and examined the place.”
“You have, sir?”
“Yes, I went in the night, and I am quite satisfied that it can be held against any odds. Good-bye.”
He shook hands, and the young lieutenant went out, wondering how the captain could have managed, and then hurried to the side to see if the last arrangements had been made.
He was busy over this, having passed near to Syd without taking any notice of him, much to the lad’s annoyance, for he had tried to catch the lieutenant’s eye.
At this moment Roylance came along toward where he was standing, but he paid no heed, for something else had taken his attention.
The boatswain had come on deck, and made his way to the side, where he touched his hat to Lieutenant Dallas, and then proceeded to obey some orders which he had received. Syd was about to intercept him, his longing to be one of the party increasing.
“I wouldn’t care,” he said to himself, “if they’d let me help land the stores. I did go out first, and here I’ve been left out of all the fun because I slipped and went overboard. It’s too bad.”
He was hurrying after the boatswain, when something else caught his eye. A member of the mess came fussing up on deck, fuming with importance, and Syd turned and was uttering some angry expression, when he found himself face to face with Roylance.