Macey was silent.
“If you did, own to it like a man, Aleck.”
“Yes, I will—to you, Vane. I did, for I thought it would be such a game to see him overboard, and I felt it would only be a wetting for us. I never thought of it turning out as it did.”
He ceased speaking, and Vane stood gazing straight before him for a few moments.
“No,” he said, at last, “you couldn’t have thought that it would turn out like it did.”
“No, ’pon my word, I didn’t.”
“And we might have had to go back and tell Syme that one of his pupils was dead. Oh, Aleck, if it had been so!”
“Yes, but don’t you turn upon me, Vane. I didn’t mean it. You know I didn’t mean it; and I’ll never try such a trick as that again.”
“Ready there?” cried Gilmore.
“Yes; all right,” shouted Macey. Then, in a whisper, “Don’t tell Distie. He’d never forgive me. Here they come.”