“What’s the matter, Jem?” he whispered, in alarm.
“Matter?” said Jem, greatly to his relief. “Nothing, as I knows on.”
“But that noise you made?”
“I didn’t make no noise.”
“You did, just now.”
“Why, I was a-larfin’ quiet-like, so as to make no row.”
“Oh!”
“Thinking about them firing a volley at us in the dark. Wonder where the bullets went?”
“Don’t talk, Jem; they may hear us.”
“What! A whisper like that, my lad? Not they. Boats is a long way off, too, now.”