"It is barely possible," said I. "Now, Bo's'n, look out there; what are you doing? We don't want to run ashore too soon."
"Are we putting out to sea in an open boat, Uncle?"
"Ask Jones," growled the Skipper. "He seems to be the captain of this expedition."
I saw that the old man's feelings were hurt because I had not consulted him, but there had not been time. I felt that the party must obey my orders first and protest afterward.
"I only want to run back along the beach a mile or so," I said, "to get away from the crew. The chances are that they'll think that we have tried to get to Cap Haïtien and follow along the coast; but from what I heard at Santo Domingo of Christophe's latest didos, I don't believe we want to go to Cap Haïtien just now."
"Why, Mr. Jones! And you let the men go! They might all have been killed!"
"Just what I was hoping for," said I. "A little more lively with those oars, Bo's'n; it's growing dark."
"How quiet Solomon is!" said Cynthia. Just then there came the distant words, "No fool like an old fool."
"It certainly is among those parrots there," said the Skipper.
"Yes, I think it is," said I.