Just for an instant Jenkins was disposed to show fight; but before he could do anything so rash, the thought of the consequences prevented him from raising his hands.
The situation was sufficiently grave without his making it worse by a useless show of resistance.
“Get up, lads!” he cried, wishing to arouse his companions before the brutal guard could deal them a blow, and the boys sprang to their feet instantly, not understanding where they were for several seconds, and then, as the unpleasant truth came slowly back to them, Gil asked:
“What’s going on now?”
“I don’t know, my boy; but this dark-complexioned gentleman has been trying his toes on my ribs in such an energetic fashion that I fancy we are to make some kind of a move. Whatever happens, keep close to me, and don’t provoke the crowd by turning rusty when we’re where we can’t help ourselves.”
“How is the weather?” Nelse asked.
“About the same as when we arrived here. There’s no chance of seeing the yacht to-day.”
This brief conversation was interrupted by the remainder of the black party, who now came from the outside, and the prisoners were made to understand by signs that they were to leave the cave.
With the boys on either side of him, Jenkins marched out, the huge black walking close behind the three, and the others clustered around in a manner which precluded any possibility of an escape.
The captors were evidently making their way back to the sea once more, and to both Gil and Nelse this fact was in some slight degree pleasing, since it seemed to bring them nearer the Day Dream.