Curiosity at once urged us to ascertain, if possible, the source and meaning of this sound, as we felt pretty confident it could proceed from no boat belonging to the fleet, and we easily arrived at the logical conclusion that it must therefore proceed from some boat belonging to the enemy. Abandoning, therefore, our float to its fate, we loosened our cutlasses in their sheaths, and our pistols in the belts which supported them, and very cautiously paddled in the direction from whence the sound appeared to proceed.
We had not gone very far when we heard the sound of voices speaking in a low tone, apparently just inshore of us, and we accordingly turned the boat’s head in that direction.
As we proceeded, the sound of talking rapidly became more distinct, and at length we were near enough to distinguish that the speakers, whoever they were, ere conversing in French.
At this point we rested on our oars again, and peered eagerly into the darkness in the endeavour to see something of our neighbours.
After perhaps a minute’s intense gaze shoreward, Bobby leaned over, and whispered,—
“There they are, right ahead, and close under our bows. It is a boat, with two men in her, and as nearly as I can make out, they are leaning over the side and hauling something into the boat.”
I looked intently in the direction indicated, and at length succeeded in making out the craft. There were, as Bob had said, two men in her; they were leaning over the side, and as I watched, one of them raised his arm, and I detected, just for a moment, the faint glitter of some object just beneath it. At the same instant a voice said in French,—
“Here is another, and a fine fellow he is, too. He will make a splendid dinner for the general to-morrow.”
“Fishermen, by all that is lucky!” I exclaimed, in an excited whisper. “Now, Bob, let’s dash alongside and board the craft; a selection from the rig of those two men will make exactly the rig I want.”
“All right,” returned Bob. “You’re the skipper, give the word, and we’ll nab the Mossoos in a jiffy.”