“Hist!”
Don’s hand was on his lips, for voices were heard from aft, and directly after they heard the captain say,—
“Yes; extremely dark. Think we shall have a storm?”
“No,” said the first lieutenant, “the glass is too high. Very dark indeed.”
Then two faint sparks of light could be seen, indicating that the speakers were smoking, and the low murmuring of their voices suggested that they were chatting carelessly together.
“Keep your hand down, Mas’ Don,” said Jem in a whisper, after removing it. “They can’t hear us, and if they did they’d think it was the watch. Say, look here, seems a pity to waste them ropes after we’ve got ’em down ready.”
“Yes, Jem, it does.”
“Such a short way to slide down, and no fear o’ their breaking, same as there was in that cock-loft. What d’yer say?”
“What to?”
“Let’s slide down and swim for it. ’Tarn’t quarter of a mile. You could do that easy.”