Jefferson swung round sharply, and the scream of a whistle came shrilly across the water from the Cumbria just then. It was answered by another of a deeper tone, and a blaze of blue light sprang up, apparently out of the creek. It showed a black shape that wallowed through a mass of piled up foam.
"A launch!" said Jefferson. "A fast one!"
"No," said Austin. "A pinnace. A gunboat's pinnace. Ah! the canoes are going."
There was a sudden thudding of paddles, and the canoes melted into the darkness as the moon sailed behind a cloud again; but the whirr and thump of engines drew nearer, and Jefferson reached down for the lantern.
"Well," he said, "a good deal depends upon what country she belongs to, and it's quite likely we're going to have trouble. Still, we have got to face it now."
He waved the lantern, and while the whirr of engines slackened a voice came out of the darkness.
"Launch ahoy! Is that the Cumbria yonder?" it said in excellent English.
Austin took the lantern from Jefferson with a soft laugh.
"I'll take charge now—you see, I'm acquainted with my countrymen's little peculiarities," he said, and raised his voice a trifle. "It is. If you don't mind steaming that far, we should consider it a pleasure to do anything we can for you."
"If you have no great objections, I'll come on board now," said the other man. "Starboard a little! Start her slow!"