"Precisely so; I wanted to find where we were before I changed the course in going farther to the eastward," added Christy.
Flint made no further remark, and they returned to the boat, and seated themselves in their places. The lieutenant gave the order to shove off.
"We are in no hurry, Beeks; if the men are tired, you can stop longer to rest them," continued the commander of the expedition.
The men scouted the idea of being tired after a pull of two miles in a comparatively smooth sea. Christy told them that they might have some very heavy work to do before they returned to the ship, and he did not wish to use up their strength unnecessarily.
"Now, keep her east by north for a couple of miles, Beeks," continued Christy. "That will be as far as we have occasion to go in this direction. Don't hurry them; take it easy, for it will not be high tide till half-past twelve, and we may have more time than we shall know how to use."
The crew pulled very leisurely, and it was over an hour before Beeks estimated that they had made the two miles. As before, Christy and Flint were landed, and they walked across the island. But their walk was not even half the length of the last one; and the spit was so narrow at this place that the lieutenant was confident he had struck the point he intended.
"This is our base of operations," said Christy, as he stood on the shore of the bay. "We have got along very well so far, for it is not time yet for the music to begin, if it is to begin at all. What are you about, Flint?"
The master's mate had lain down on the sand at the water's edge, and his companion was very much puzzled by his attitude. He wondered if his companion had the stomach-ache, and was not able to stand up.
"I beg your pardon, Lieutenant Passford, but if you will kindly be quiet for a moment, I hope to be able to answer your question," replied Flint, in a low tone.
Christy complied with the request, and as he did so, he thought he heard a noise in the distance, though he was not sure of it. He listened with all his ears, and some confused sounds came to him; but he could make nothing of them.