What it was he counted on finishing I could not so much as guess, and my companions were too weary to speculate upon the matter just at that moment.
We saw him speak with this or that person who came out of the shops or buildings as he appeared, and immediately it was as if he had disturbed a colony of ants. Men and women began running hither and thither in terror, and not a few carried with them household goods of such small value that it was a sheer waste of time to lug them around. In a twinkling the entire village was in a commotion, and no one appeared to have time to spend on us who had brought the disagreeable news.
Darius remained beyond our range of vision perhaps ten minutes, and then he appeared with the four Byard brothers trailing behind him, whereupon Jerry, who had no particular love for these lads, asked fretfully:
"What do you reckon he counts on doin' with that trash? If he needed more of a crew, it strikes me he might have found better material."
We soon learned what purpose the old man had in mind, for on nearing the place where our canoe was drawn up, the Byard family went a short distance down stream in which direction their own craft was moored, and began making her ready for a voyage.
"One of you lads must go to the commodore with news of what we have seen," Darius said, speaking quick and sharp as if to prevent us from holding any parley on the subject. "The Byards are to be paid for paddlin' the best they know how from here to Nottingham, makin' no stop on the way, an' he who goes will only need to act as helmsman."
"Are the remainder of the party to stay here?" I asked, not minded to take myself out of the way when so much of excitement might soon be witnessed.
"Sure. We who stay will be ready to make the quickest trip on record, once we've found out all that's to be known. Who will go to the commodore?"
No one replied, and by this time the Byards had their canoe afloat.
"We'll draw lots," Darius said after finding that neither of us was willing to volunteer for the service. "The one who pulls the shortest twig starts without delay or grumblin', an' I'm free to tell you that those who stay behind with me are like to have the toughest night's work they ever put in."