"I guess that's the trouble," Tom began; "my head aches——"
"Can you swim now?" Archer demanded.
"You go," said Tom; "my knee's too stiff."
"If you everr say a thing like that to me again," said Archer, his eyes snapping and his freckled face flushing scarlet, "I'll——"
"I didn't think we'd start till midnight," Tom said, "and I thought my knee'd be well enough by that time."
The little boat, as they could see from the doorway, bobbed nearer and nearer and Archer could see that it contained two men.
"They've got on uniforms," Archer said, "but I can't see what they arre. Let's keep inside."
"They know we're here," said Tom; "they'd only shoot us if we started away."
Closer and closer came the little boat until one of its occupants jumped out, hauling it into one of the little rocky caverns of the islet. Then both came striding up to the doorway.
As soon as they caught sight of the boys they paused aghast and seemed to be much more discomfited than either Tom or Archer. Evidently they had not come for the fugitives and the thought occurred to Archer that they might be fugitives themselves.