“I allow we can afford to make a move within an hour after sunset,” he said, putting the food before us; “but we’re not to have matters as easy as when we came down from New York. There isn’t a cloud in the sky; it will be very light, an’ we can’t hope to run past any craft unseen. Luckily the wind holds fairly strong, an’ I’m allowin’ it’ll be a bit fresher when the sun goes down. Have you fellows decided on where we shall stay till to-morrow night?” I waited to give Seth or Sam a chance to speak, but since they held their peace, I said, having given the matter due thought: “It strikes me we couldn’t do better than to run down the Jersey coast, strikin’ straight across on leavin’ the creek. There would be no great harm done if we kept on to Great Kills, where we shall find a good harbor, with no fear the Britishers will come that way, or, if it seems wiser to you, we can put out to sea.” Abraham was in favor of the first proposition, and thus we settled the matter in short order. We loitered over the meal in order to occupy as much time as possible, but it was yet light when we went on deck and examined every rope and bolt to make certain all was as it should be, although the Swiftsure had been tried out in good shape during the run down from New York. Not until night had fully come did we make the first move toward warping out of the creek, and then went to work in good earnest, taking every care to keep within the lines of shadow as much as possible. Seth Hartley and Abraham, in the skiff, pulled her stern around the sharpest bends, while Sam and I poled her along the reaches, and I allowed it was near to nine o’clock in the evening when she was in open water where the canvas could be spread. The wind had not lessened in force, and was just about strong enough to suit the little sloop, for in too heavy weather she was prone to bury her nose to such an extent as to check her headway, and Abraham said to me as he came over the rail, leaving to Seth the duty of making the skiff fast astern: “We couldn’t ask for a better night, save in the matter of light. So far as bein’ hidden from view of any craft we may come upon, it might as well be broad day. If only the clouds had gathered!” “When we left Gravesend the chances of our bein’ able to get as far along in the scheme as this were so slim, that I’m not disposed to find fault now,” I said laughingly, and it seems strange to me even now that I, who had been so doubtful of success a few hours previous, should have felt light-hearted when we were setting out on a cruise where danger lurked on every hand. “If you’ll take the helm I’ll keep lookout forward,” the lad replied, gloomily, as I thought, and in a twinkling we had all the canvas spread, the little craft having a bone in her teeth almost immediately afterward, for she was ever quick at starting.