And they did not fail to recognize the peril in which they were. The firing had probably been heard and the wreck of the merchantman seen. If so, the Americans could not be in a much worse place.
"We may be right in front of a battery," whispered Clif.
The first thing the sailors did was to see to their revolvers and cutlasses. And after that they started silently down the shore.
"We won't try to go far," Clif said, "but we must find a hiding-place."
But in that darkness the hiding-places were themselves hidden; the best the Americans could do was to stumble down the shore for a hundred yards or so, being careful to walk where the waves would wash out their footprints.
Then they were a short distance from the wreck and felt a trifle safer.
"We may as well strike back in the country now," said the leader, "at least until we can find some bushes or something to conceal us."
That was a rather more ticklish task, and the men crouched and stole along in silence. They had no idea what they might meet.
It was fortunate for them that they were quiet. Otherwise they would have gotten into very serious trouble indeed.
They stole up the sandy beach a short ways, feeling their way along and getting further and further away from the sea. They were struggling through soft dry sand.