At first the men gazed about them with an idle curiosity, but, not seeing anyone, they began to grow uneasy, and to cast frightened glances on every side.
"By gar!" exclaimed Joe Pintaud, and on the instant the singing ceased.
The sudden silence was almost as disquieting as the voice of an invisible singer, and again Joe uttered his favorite exclamation.
"Where did that voice come from?"
"Dunno, Mist Pearl. One tam I t'ink from rock, one tam from water. Fust he come from ze hair, zen he gat under ze bateau. Bimeby he come every somewhere. One tam I t'ink angele, me; one tam dev. Mostly I t'ink dev."
"It seemed to me to come from the cliff," said Peveril.
"Oui; so I t'ink."
"Though I could also have sworn that it rose from the water."
"Oui, m'sieu. You say dev, I say dev."
By this time Peveril had again got his craft under way, and they were skirting a wooded islet that lay off the coast just beyond the black ledge. This island appeared to be nearly cut in two by a narrow bay; but as those in the boat seemed to see every part of this, and were convinced that it contained no logs, they did not enter it.