By this time the little craft had steerage way on, and Abel took the tiller, saying half to himself as he did so, but still wearing the same grin of satisfaction: “It’s a case of guessin’ at the best; but I’m allowin’ we shan’t go so far astray as to run aground, for unless I’m way out’er my reckonin’, we should be well at sea by this time.” Then he added, looking at me, “So you’ve allowed that we’re called upon to abandon the sloop, an’ take our chances of crossin’ Long Island, where three men out of every four we may come across can surely be counted as enemies, eh?” “What other course is left? Surely you’re not wild enough to think we stand any chance of gettin’ past the whole British fleet without bein’ captured?” “Not a bit of it, lad,” and now he grinned in a manner that provoked me sorely. “I don’t allow there’s the man livin’ who could put this ’ere sloop past all them Britishers without bein’ overhauled, an’ I’m dead certain we couldn’t do it, for by this time, if so be the bloomin’ lobster-backs have found out we’re missin’, every man jack of ’em is watchin’ for us. The way we gave ’em the slip is well calculated to rile all hands quite considerable.” “Then why did you ask such foolish questions?” and now I spoke sharply. “Because I ain’t willin’ to say that in order to get back to New York we have got to go up through the Narrows. There is such a thing as a sailin’ clean around Long Island, ain’t there? It would make quite a cruise, I’ll admit; but, ’cordin’ to the way I look at the thing, it’s a long bit ahead of stickin’ our noses where we know we can’t get through, an’ I’ll allow we’d have pretty nigh as much trouble in crossin’ the island on foot, as in tryin’ to sail up the bay.” I could have kicked myself with a right good will for not having realized before that there was a way out of our difficulties. It had been so strongly impressed on my mind that we were entirely cut off from our friends, that there was no room for any other thought; but now Abel Grant had made the suggestion, I could see clearly how it might be done, at the expense of time, and was ready to shout for very joy until there came to me a remembrance of Sam. If so be he succeeded in making his report at headquarters, we knew full well from what the lad had said that he would at once retrace his steps with the idea of joining us, and by thus shaping the course for Montauk Point, we would be in a certain sense deserting him. I said as much to Abel, and it appeared that he was prepared for some such objection, for he replied promptly: “Well, an’ supposin’ we make up our minds that we won’t desert him? That we’ll hang ’round here waitin’ for him, what then? Have you got any keen idea as to what will happen when this fog lifts, if so be we’re nosin’ round Long Island?” “The Britishers will pick us up in a twinklin’,” I said bitterly.