When the officer found, as he supposed, that they could not answer him, he forbore to put any further questions.
The crew did not appear to be angry at the long pull that had been given them back; indeed, Jack and Bill suspected, from what they heard, that the seamen, at all events, would not have been sorry if they had escaped altogether.
On reaching the landing-place in the harbour, they found a party of soldiers, with an officer, who, from what Bill made out, had sent the boat in pursuit of them.
As soon as they stepped on shore the officer began to question them, in the same way as the commander of the boat had done.
Bill shrugged his shoulders and turned to Jack, and Jack shrugged his and turned to Bill, as much as to say, “I wonder what he’s talking about?”
“The lads do not understand French, that is evident,” said the officer to a subordinate standing near him; “I shall get nothing out of them without an interpreter. They do not look stupid either, and they must be bold fellows, or they would not have attempted to made a voyage on that raft. I must have a nearer look at it;” and he ordered the boatmen to bring it in close to the shore, so that he might examine it.
He again turned to Bill, and said, “What were you going to attempt to cross the Channel on that?”
Bill, as before, shrugged his shoulders, quite in the French fashion, for he had learnt the trick from Pierre, who, when he was in doubt about a matter, always did so.
“I forgot; the boy doesn’t understand French,” observed the officer.
Bill had some little difficulty in refraining from laughing, as he understood perfectly well everything that was said around him, except when the Frenchmen talked unusually fast.