Away they went to the shore on that side of the island, but they saw in a moment that it was too far. It was two hundred yards to the sedges on the bank where they had landed that night. They could not trust themselves to swim more than fifty or sixty yards; there was, too, the risk of weeds, in which they might get entangled.
“I know!” said Bevis, “I know! You stop on the island with Pan. I’ll sail the Pinta into harbour, then I’ll paddle back on the catamaran.”
“There!” said Mark, “I knew you could do it if you thought hard. We could bring the catamaran up in the boat, and leave it in the sedges there ready.”
“I can leave half my clothes on the island,” said Bevis, “and tie the rest on my back, and paddle here from the sedges in ten minutes. That will be just like the savages do.”
“I shall come too,” said Mark. “I shan’t stop here. Let Pan be tied up, and I’ll paddle as well.”
“The catamaran won’t bear two.”
“Get another. There’s lots of planks. I will come—it’s much jollier paddling than sitting here and doing nothing.”
“Capital,” said Bevis. “We’ll have two catamarans, and paddle here together.”
“First-rate. Let’s be quick and get the things on the island.”
“There will be such a lot,” said Bevis. “The matchlock, and the powder, and the flour, and—”