CHAPTER VII
ADRIFT
When Appleby and Niven came clattering down the beach it was growing very cold and night was closing in. They had not found the skipper, and a man had told them that the little tramway between Port Parry and Victoria had stopped running. The lads had also been working hard in the sunshine all day, and because the mate had given them no time to change the light clothes they stood in they shivered a little in the chilly breeze. It came down moaning across the dark pines, crisping the land-locked harbour where two big warships lay, and when they stood on the pebbles there was a clear ringing of bugles.
"Half-an-hour, to the minute," said Appleby. "There's a tolerably stiff breeze."
"You timed us?" said Niven. "Of course, you would. Now, I could never have remembered it."
Appleby laughed a trifle grimly. "Yes," he said. "You see, I didn't want to stay here any longer than was necessary with the wind freshening. It's going to be quite hard enough work to get back as it is."
Niven groaned a little as he helped to thrust off the boat, for he was very tired, and his limbs had stiffened with the cold, while as he was about to step on board a Canadian came sauntering down the beach.
"Are you two lads going off to the barque out there?" he asked.
"'ARE YOU TWO LADS GOING OFF TO THE BARQUE OUT THERE?'"