“Pretty condition we shall be in if daylight finds us here!” said Tom.
“No fear of that,” answered Jack; “off the boat must come.”
Needham, with boat-hook in hand, went ahead to ascertain the depth of water, and on his return reported that after some yards it deepened considerably, whilst, as he could see nothing of the land, he concluded that they were on a mudbank.
“No doubt about it,” said Jack; and all hands together lifting the boat, they bore her along for fifty yards or so, when, washing the mud off their legs, they tumbled on board, and again gave way.
“Pretty mess we’re in,” observed Tom.
His brother laughed. “We shall be in a worse mess before long, as we have a couple of rivers and a marsh or two to wade through before we reach our destination. Needham, you are in good wind, I hope?”
“Ay, ay, sir,” answered Dick; “I doubt whether any Russian would overtake me if we have to run for it.”
“I wish that I was to go with you,” said Tom.
“No, you must remain by the boat, and keep a bright lookout that you are not surprised,” answered Jack; “have your muskets ready for instant use; and should we at the last be pursued, be ready to cover our retreat; you don’t know at what time we may come. We may be turned back before we reach our destination, or we may succeed, and still be hard pressed to escape capture; the last is most likely to occur: at all events, be on the watch.”
Jack had previously made all his arrangements; the gunner and Jerry Bird each carried match-boxes in waterproof cases, and small torches which they could easily ignite, so that the moment they stepped on shore they could proceed on their expedition. A sense of the importance of the work to be accomplished made Jack enjoy it, otherwise an act of incendiarism would not have been to his taste. The gunner and Jerry Bird, it must be confessed, did not trouble their heads much about the matter.