“Why, what a noise! And they have been going on like this all the time you have been on duty?”
“Yes, sir; it’s been precious cheerful.”
“But what have you done?”
“Oh, just kep’ on the move, sir, so as to baffle them a bit when they seemed disposed to come ashore and join one.”
“But surely you haven’t seen any of them come ashore?”
“Well, sir, to be downright honest, it’s been too dark to see ’em; but I’ve seemed to feel one of ’em crawling ashore now and then; and then I always went right to the end of the beat, so as to get as far off as I could.”
“I say, Down, this is horrible!” said Archie.
“Thank you, sir,” said the man. “It ain’t been nice.”
“Nice—no!” said the Captain. “It seems like planting a sentry to act as a bait to draw the brutes ashore.”
“I don’t think, however, that they would attack a man who was on the alert,” said Archie.