"Yes, please, Captain Reed," cried Fitz excitedly. "It's like lessons at school. We ought to know what we've got to do by now, and learning at the last minute won't do a bit of good. If we succeed we succeed, and if we fail we fail." "Do you know what a big writer said, my boy, when one of his characters was going off upon an expedition?" "No, sir," said Fitz. "Good luck to you, perhaps," said Poole, laughing, though the laugh was not cheery. "No, my lad," said the skipper. "I have not been much of a reader, and I'm not very good at remembering wise people's sayings, but he said to the young fellow when he talked as you did about failing, `In the bright lexicon of youth there is no such word as fail,' which I suppose was a fine way of saying, Go and do what you have got to do, and never think of not succeeding. You're not going to fail. You mustn't. There's too much hanging to it, my boys; and now I quite agree with you that we'll let things go as they are." CHAPTER FORTY NINE. CHIPS SNIFFS. The silence and darkness made the lads' start for their venturesome expedition doubly impressive, the more so that the men were looking on in silence and wonder, and no light was shown on board the schooner. The gig with its load of cable had been swinging for hours by the painter, and midnight was near at hand, when the little crew, each armed with cutlass and revolver, stood waiting for their orders to slip down into their seats. This order came at last, accompanied by one command from the skipper, and it was this-- "Perfect silence, my lads. Obey orders, and do your best.--Now, my boys," he continued, as soon as the men were in the boat, "do not fire a shot unless you are absolutely obliged. Mr Burgess will follow in the large boat with a dozen men, to lie off the mouth of the river ready to help you if you are in trouble; so make for there. If you want to signal to them to come to you, strike a couple of matches one after the other, and throw them into the water at once. Last night the gunboat did not show a light. I expect that it will be the same to-night, as they will think they are safer; but I fancy amongst you, you will have eyes sharp enough to make her out, and the darkness will be your best friend, so I hope the sea will not brime. There, your hand, Mr Burnett. Now yours, Poole, my boy. Over with you at once." The next minute the boys had slid down into the boat, to seat themselves in the stern-sheets with the boatswain; the carpenter pulled the stroke oar, so that he was within reach if they wished to speak, and with the boatswain taking the rudder-lines they glided slowly down the stream. "Tell them just to dip their oars to keep her head straight, boatswain," said Poole quietly. "We have plenty of time, and we had better keep out in mid-stream. A sharp look-out for anything coming up."