“Yes, I’m sure of it.”
“Well, p’raps you’re right, sir. It seems more brave British seaman to face the enemy straightforward like. Not as I mean, sir, as the captain’s a enemy, but on’y just standing for one till the row’s over. D’yer see?”
“Yes, I see, Tom, and I’ve been thinking, too, that it will be enough for me to go in and face uncle at once, and for you not to wait to be paid for this journey.”
“Oh, I don’t want no paying, my lad, for a little job like this. Think of the times when you’ve give me pretty nigh all the fish you’ve caught!”
“But uncle said you were to be paid, Tom.”
“Very well, sir. Let him pay me then nex’ time he sees me. That’ll be all right. You’ll be sending a rock through the boat’s planks afore long, and I shall have to come over and put a bit o’ noo planking in. The captain will pay me then. I say, it’s time we put her about. We can make a good bit this reach. Strikes me that the wind’s more abeam than when we started.”
“Is it?” said Aleck, drearily, and he felt that it would have been far more satisfactory for it to be dead ahead, or to be blowing so fiercely that they would be compelled to put back to Rockabie, and his return home deferred to another day.
As it was, it became more and more favourable, and an easy passage was made round the great promontory, while the current that rushed round the point and raced outward was so calmed down by the tide being just at the turn that the boat glided round and into smooth water, the stack rocks soon after coming into sight, and, with what seemed to the lad like horrible rapidity, they ran in under the rocks and passed the regular rookery of sea-birds, whose cries were deafening when they were close in.
“Say when,” cried the sailor, who had given up the tiller to Aleck and stepped forward ready to lower the sail.
“Now!” cried the lad, dismally, a few minutes later; and down came the sail, while in obedience to the rudder the boat glided in between the two walls of perpendicular rock, running in for some little distance before it became necessary for the sailor to help her along by means of the boat-hook and guide her right into her little haven.