After the last of these encounters the lights began to move outward in obedience to an order given loudly from one of the boats; the regular dip-dip of oars came up, and then there was a rushing sound and a wild passionate chorus of cries from the shore.
“I know,” panted Aleck, with a feeling of angry indignation attacking him. “They’ve taken and are carrying off some of the men, and the women have been fighting to try and rescue them. Poor things, how horrible, but how brave!”
He had confirmation of his surmises directly after, for there now rose up to his ears a burst of sobbing cries in a woman’s voice, followed by confused eager talk from quite a party, who seemed to be trying to comfort the weeping woman.
For a few moments there was a pause, during which in the deep silence there was the regular dip of oars, and the lanthorns gently rose and fell upon the smooth rollers of the tide. Then there was a cry which went straight to Aleck’s heart, so piteous and wailing were its tones:
“Oh, Eben! Eben! Come back, dear; come back!”
It reached him for whom it was intended, and was answered directly from one of the boats in words which reached Aleck more clearly perhaps then the listeners below him on the shore.
“All right, lass. Cheer up!”
The order had its effect, for a cheer given heartily in women’s voices was the result; but the lad’s thoughts were active.
“Cheer up!” he said to himself. “How can the woman be cheerful with her husband dragged away like that?”
The lights in the boats gradually grew more distant, while Aleck lay thinking what he had better do, for the low eager murmur of voices down below raised a feeling of commiseration in his breast, which made him feel disposed to go down and try to say a few words of comfort to the bereaved women, who had evidently been trying hard to save their husbands. But he felt that he would only be able to act in a poor bungling way and that the smugglers’ people might look upon him as an intruder and a spy. For though the Den was so short a distance from Eilygugg, there had been very little intercourse, and that merely at times when the help of the captain was sought in connection with some injury or disease.