Jake roused himself with a jerk. Dick leaned forward wearily with his elbow on the table, but he looked resolute.
“Then you haven’t let up yet? You’re going on to the lagoon?”
“Certainly,” said Dick. “The Danish boat has an hour’s start, but she only steams eight or nine knots and it will take some time to load her cargo.”
“But we can’t drive the launch hard. The breeze is knocking up the sea.”
“We’ll try,” Dick answered, and Jake growled in protest. His dream of rest and sleep, and perhaps some mildly exciting adventure when the citizens came out in the cool of the evening, had been rudely banished. Moreover, he had had another reason for being philosophical when he thought his comrade baulked.
“It’s a fool trick. She won’t make it if the sea gets bad.”
Dick smiled dryly. “We can turn back if we find her getting swamped. It looks as if you were not very anxious to overtake Kenwardine.”
“I’m not,” Jake admitted. “If you’re determined to go, I’m coming, but I’d be glad of a good excuse for letting the matter drop.”
Somewhat to his surprise, Dick gave him a sympathetic nod. “I know; I’ve felt like that, but the thing can’t be dropped. It’s a hateful job, but it must be finished now.”
“Very well,” Jake answered, getting up. “If we must go, the sooner we start the better.”