"I say, Gnat, we shan't go home without prize-money this voyage," whispered Smith; and then, nothing more being possible, the sentries-- four, posted at different distances--were visited, and we all sat down in the shade to rest, and partake of the refreshments in the men's haversacks. CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. FRESH DANGER. "They're a long time sending those boats, Herrick," said the lieutenant to me soon after we had finished our meal. "It's rather a long way, sir," I ventured to suggest. "Oh yes, it's a long way; but with the state of dishipline to which I have brought the _Teaser_ they ought to have been here by now. Suppose we were surrounded by the enemy, and waiting for their help to save us!" "We should think it longer than we do now, sir." Mr Reardon turned to me sharply, and looked as if in doubt whether he should treat my remark as humorous or impertinent. Fortunately he took the former view, and smiled pleasantly. "So we should, Herrick, so we should. But if they knew it was to fetch all this loot on board, they'd make a little more haste." "They know it by this time, sir," I said. "They must have met the first boat." "Oh, I don't know," he said rather sourly. "The men are very slow when I am not there." "Here they are, sir!" I cried; for the marine sentry down by the river challenged, and then there was a loud cheering, and soon after Mr Brooke appeared, followed by a long train of fully-armed Jacks. "Why, I thought when we started that we had come to fight," cried Mr Brooke as he reached us. "We met the two loaded boats. Is there much more?" "Come and look," said Mr Reardon; and we went first into one and then the other store, while our party of Jacks communicated our luck to the newcomers, the result being that, as we came out of the second long hut, the men cheered again lustily. Then no time was lost; and the way in which the crew attacked those two stores of loot was a sight to see. It was tremendously hot, but they laughed and cheered each other as those returning met the laden ones going down to the boats. They would have liked to make a race of it to see which crew could load up their boat first, but Mr Reardon stopped that; and the strength of all was put to work to load one boat and get it off, so that there were two streams of men going and coming; and the first boat was deeply laden in an incredibly short space of time, the men leaving themselves no room to row, but placing the chests amidships to form a platform, and two smaller ones in the bow and stern. They would have laden the boat more deeply still but for Mr Brooke, who superintended at the side of the creek, while Mr Reardon was at the stores. Then the first of the boats Mr Brooke had brought was sent off, and by the time the next was loaded one of those we had previously sent off returned.