“Oh!” cried Aleck, passionately.
“And the orficer there from the Revenoo cutter, he says: ‘You find the body o’ young Mr Wrighton of the man-o’-war sloop, and there’ll be the same reward for that.’”
“Humph! I should have thought I was worth more than that,” said the midshipman.
“Ay, ay, sir!” cried Tom Bodger, who was squeezing his shirt and breeches as he talked. “So says I, sir; but it’s disappynting, for I arn’t found no corpses, on’y you young gents all as live-ho as fish; and what’s to come o’ my rewards?”
“Oh, bother the rewards, Tom! How did you get in?”
“Dove, sir, and swimmed on my back with my flippers going like one o’ the seals I’ve seen come in here.”
“But we tried to do that, both of us, and we couldn’t do it.”
“Dessay not, sir. Didn’t try on the right tide.”
“Nearly got drowned, both of us, my lad,” said the midshipman. “But don’t let’s lose time. You show the way, and we’ll follow you.”
“No hurry, sir; plenty o’ time. Be easier bimeby. Tide’s got another hour o’ ebb yet. But how in the name o’ oakum did you two gents manage to get in here? I knowed there was a hole here where the seals dove in, and I did mean to come sploring like at some time or other; but it’s on’y once in a way as you can row in.”