“Cover about half the rest of the distance, then reverse and lie to,” decided Powell Seaton. He now had the extra pair of marine glasses, and was attentively studying both the boat and the shore nearby.
Tom took the wheel himself, stopping where he had been directed. So neatly was headway corrected that the “Restless” barely drifted on the smooth water inshore.
There was now remaining less than an hour of daylight.
“I think I understand their plan, if Dalton is on board,” whispered Mr. Seaton to his young captain. “Dalton is waiting until it is dark enough to slip ashore.”
“Hm! There’s one way you could stop that, 134 if you want to take all the risk,” ventured Halstead, grinning thoughtfully.
“How?”
“Well, if it’s the plan of anyone aboard the drab boat to slip on shore under cover of darkness, then I could put our tender overboard and row Hepton to one bank of the river with his rifle. Returning, I could row you to the other shore, you to carry the other rifle.”
“That would be a bold and open move,” agreed Mr. Seaton, gasping at first, then looking thoughtful. “But look at that shore, Halstead. See the thick trees on either bank of the river. Hepton and I couldn’t watch a lot of stretch on both banks.”
“With our help from the boat you could, sir.”
“Again, how?”