“Don’t you never trust me again.”
“But do you mean to say that you can’t see those rocks just abeam, Tom Bodger?”
“Not a rock on ’em, messmet; but I can hear the bladder-wrack washing in and out.”
“But you, Master Aleck?”
“I can see it looks a little darker there,” replied the lad, “and a little lighter lower down.”
“Well, it’s amazin’, sir. I can see ’em quite plain. I s’pose my eyes must be a little better than yourn through being out so much of a night.”
“Smuggling, Eben?” said Aleck, quietly.
The man laughed softly, and, standing up now, holding on by one of the stays, he shaded his eyes and looked about him for some time.
“There’s the riding lights of the two King’s ships,” he said, half aloud, “but I can’t see the boats. They’d be giving the rocks about here a wide berth, and you pretty well left ’em behind, Master Aleck. Now, sir, what are you going to do?”
“Run home, of course,” said Aleck.