SOME TROUBLE ON BOARD THE TEASER
It was not a difficult thing for so many men to carry the whaleboat across the island, and they were disposed to make merry over the novelty of the task; but they had been instructed not to speak a loud word after the party left the south side of the island. The noise to which Christy and Flint had listened indicated that something was going on, though they could not decide what it was. In the stillness of the night, and in the absence of any roar of breakers, sounds could be heard a long distance, though whether they came one mile or two, they could not determine.
"Get out those cloths, Beeks," said Christy, as soon as the boat had been put into the water. "Every oar must be very carefully muffled, and you will see that it is properly done."
"I will have it done in a few minutes, sir," replied the acting coxswain.
"As I said before, we are in no hurry, and you may take your time to do it properly," added the lieutenant.
"Those sounds are still to be heard," said Flint, who had been a short distance from the boat to listen for them.
"I hear them," replied Christy, walking away from the boat to continue the investigation while they were waiting. "Some kind of a job is in progress at no great distance from us. From how far off do you calculate that those sounds come?"
"I think they must come a mile; and I don't believe I can guess any nearer to it than that, though it is possible they come two miles. I know little or nothing of the region about here. Suppose we should go a mile north-northeast from this spot, what should we find there, Mr. Passford?" asked Flint, apparently greatly interested in the question.
"It would be a point on Pensacola Bay, about half-way between this island, where we stand, and Town Point," replied Christy. "I should say it would be in the channel leading into Santa Rosa Sound."
"Precisely so!" exclaimed Flint, in an energetic whisper. "That's the way they are going to take the Teaser out, and they are doing something over there to prepare her for the trip in shallow water."