“All well, Rogers?” he said in a low, distinct voice.
“All well, sir,” came back from far on high. “Nothing left the ship. We could ha’ seen by the broken water. It brimes to-night, and we should have seen their oars stirring the water up.”
Note: “brimes” means “is phosphorescent.”
Syd went thoughtfully back, feeling so exhausted and drowsy that twice over he stumbled, and shook his head to get rid of the sleepy feeling, for it had been a terribly trying and anxious time.
“I’ll go and talk to Strake,” he said to himself; and pulling out a biscuit, he began to nibble it to take off the sensation of faintness from which he suffered, as he began wondering whether the French would attack them that night, or come prepared the next day with ladders to scale the natural wall which was their chief defence.
“All well, Strake?” he said, as he reached the place again where the boatswain was lying down.
“Ay, ay, sir.”
“Halt! who goes there?”
“On’y me,” cried a hoarse, excited voice, in a whisper, accompanied by a panting noise. “Where’s father?”
“What, Pan-y-mar?” growled the boatswain. “Just you come here, you ugly-looking young swab.”