"Yes, sir. It's this waiting makes me want to speak. I can't stand the doing nothing at a time like this. I'd ten times rather be on the fight." "So would I, Winks, if you come to that. It's a cruel strain, my lad. Worse than being in the wildest storm. But go on; what did you want to say?" "Oh, only this, sir. I want you to give me orders to go round again and give the fires a poke. You needn't come, sir. You are wanted here. You can trust me to do the lot." "Yes, I know that," said the skipper sternly; "but that isn't all. You were thinking something else, and now it's come to the point you are afraid to speak." "How did you know that, sir?" said the man huskily. "By your manner and the tone of your voice. What is it you are thinking? Out with it at once." "Well, sir, I dunno how you come to know, but it has come over me just lately like a skeer. Aren't the young gents been much longer this time?" "Yes, much," replied the skipper; "or else it seems to be." "I thought so, sir, and I've got so now that I feels as if I can't bear it. What are you going to do, sir? Follow 'em up and see what's wrong?" "I shall give them ten minutes longer, Winks. I meant to stay here to the very last, ready to give the enemy a volley and a check if they should come on; but now the time has come to hurry on to the wharf and wait there in the hope that the boat may still come and take us off without further waste of time." "But don't let me make you downhearted, sir," said the carpenter, trying to speak cheerily. "I'm a bit of an old woman in my ways sometimes. Maybe it's all right, after all." "Maybe it is," said the skipper. "We are tired out and over-anxious now. It's quite possible that we shall have them back here soon." "Pst!" whispered the carpenter. "There's some one coming." It was from their rear, and the next moment they were joined by Don Ramon. "Ah, you are here," he said. "Is it not time that the boys came back?" "Nearly," said the skipper quietly. "No, no," said Don Ramon; "they have been twice too long. Something must have happened, or they would have come by now." "Pst! Look out!" whispered the carpenter, and he cocked his rifle. "No: all right," he continued. "It's not from the enemy's side." He was quite right, for directly after the two boys trotted up. "All right, father," cried Poole. "The boat's back." "We thought she would never have come," added Fitz. "They have had a very hard pull up stream, for the water has risen, and they thought that they'd never get to the landing-place." "But they are there!" cried the skipper eagerly. "What about the others? Have they got on board?" "Everything was going right, father. I had a few words with Butters, and he was very eager to know how soon I could get you all down." "And you couldn't tell him?" "No, father.--I think that's all."