“That’s all right,” said Hegan. “I want to see Indian Head from the ocean. It’s years since I was off there. How far is it to Baymouth from the Head?”
The question was put with such curious intentness that Jack glanced at the man before replying.
“Thinking of swimming it?” he asked. “About a couple of miles as the crab walks.”
“I thought it was about that,” replied Hegan; and then he strolled forward to where Martin was leaning against the mast. The two men talked for some time in low voices, watching the coast-line as the sloop slid slowly past, but neither Jack nor Rodney took much notice of them. Presently, however, Hegan turned round and shouted aft to the captain.
“Couldn’t you keep her a bit farther out?” he asked casually. “We don’t want to hug the shore all the way up.”
Jack waved a hand in reply, and gave a slight turn to the wheel, in response to which the Sea-Lark headed farther east, and before long a considerable distance separated the sloop from the shore.
“I guess we had better not go much farther,” he called out then. “It looks kind of hazy over there.”
“Why, we can’t be so far off Indian Head now, are we?” Martin queried. “Both of us wanted to have a look at it.”