“I heard it in the night.”
“When?”
“In the night before the moon went away.”
“That was them,” said Dick.
“Dick!”
“Yes?”
“Who were they?”
“I don’t know,” replied Dick.
“It was in the night, before the moon went away, and it went on and on beating in the trees. I thought I was asleep, and then I knew I was awake; you were asleep, and I pushed you to listen, but you couldn’t wake, you were so asleep; then the moon went away, and the noise went on. How did they make the noise?”
“I don’t know,” replied Dick, “but it was them; and they left this on the sand, and the sand was all trod up, and I saw their boats from the hill, away out far.”