“No,” said Aleck; “but if I were I should feel and act just as you have, and I hope be quite as brave.”
A pressure of the hand conveyed the midshipman’s thanks, and directly after the two lads awoke to the fact that the smuggler was doing something which could mean nothing else but the providing of something to eat and drink.
For upon raising the lanthorn to look around, he came upon a basket, and beside it a good-sized bottle, both of which he examined.
“Why, skipper,” he said, “you haven’t eat your dinner!”
“How could I eat at a time like this?” said the midshipman, angrily.
“Well, I s’pose it didn’t give you much hankering arter eating tackle,” said the smuggler, grimly. “I took nowt but water when I was aboard your ship; but you ought to eat and drink now you ye got to the end of your troubles, thanks to Master Aleck here. Why, you’ve got two lots. What’s in the bottles?”
The speaker screwed out the corks of two bottles, one after the other, and smelt the contents.
“Ha! Water. Want anything stronger?” he said, with a grin. “Plenty o’ Right Nantes yonder,” he added, with a jerk of his thumb over the right shoulder.
“No, no, I don’t want anything,” said the midshipman, impatiently.
“Well, sir, I do,” said Eben. “I’m down faint, and if you don’t mind—what do you say, Master Aleck?”