"No, nor your father either," said Mike sadly. "I don't think anything of that," continued Vince; "what I do think a great deal of is that neither you nor I, who've always been climbing about the cliffs and boating shouldn't have found it out before."

"But surely now we're missing they'll find it out," cried Mike, who was ready to s.n.a.t.c.h at any straw of hope.

"I don't see how," said Vince. "They're sure to think that one of us met with an accident, and that the other was drowned in trying to save him."

Mike was silent for some moments, during which he stood gazing wistfully at his fellow-prisoner.

"That would be very nice of them to think that of us," he said at last, slowly. "But do you think they would believe us likely to be so brave?"

"Oh yes, they'd think so," said Vince quickly--"I'm sure they would; but I don't know about it's being brave. It's only what two fellows would do one for the other. It's what English chaps always do, of course, but it's like making a lot of fuss about it to call it brave. I should say it's what a fellow should do, that's all."

"And no one knows--no one saw us go to the hole," said Mike bitterly.

"Oh, I say, Vince, we have made a mess of it to keep it a secret."

"Yes, we have, and no mistake."

"And no one knows," repeated Mike thoughtfully. "Don't you think Lobster might know, and tell them?"

"No, I'm sure he can't. Of course old Joe knows; but he won't speak, because if he did, and told the truth, the captain here would be ready to shoot him."

"And my father would have him locked up, and tried for what he has done."

"Yes," said Vince, nodding his head; "Joe won't speak--you may depend upon that. Why, Mike, while we were fishing for that crab, and were so still, some one must have come across the cave behind us and never known we were there."

"Yes, and then we were caught as fast as the crab was and--"

"_Eh bien, mes enfans_, my good boy, are you hungry for your dinner?"

"Not very," said Vince, turning sharply as the skipper came silently up behind them. "We feel as if we should like to dine at home."

"Aha! You not mean zat, my _bon garcon_. Not ven I ask you to have dine vis me. Let us go and demand vat ze cook man--ze _chef_--have to give us, for it is long time since ze _dejeuner_ and ve have much to do after. Come, sheer up, as ze sailor _Anglais_ say. You like ze sea?"

"Yes," said Vince; "both of us do."

"And you can reef and furl ze sail?"

"Yes, we've often been in a boat."

"Brava! it is good; and, aha! ze brave cook go to prepare ze cabin for ze dinnaire. You sall bose be my compagnie _cet_--to-day."

Just then Vince caught sight of one of the lugger's boats, and noticed that it was particularly broad and punt-like in make, evidently so that it should carry a big load and at the same time draw little water--a shape that would save it from many dangers in pa.s.sing over rocks, and also be very convenient for running in and landing upon the sands.

This boat was very heavily laden with bales, carefully ranged and stacked, while the boat's gunwale was so close to the surface that a lurch would have caused the water to flow in.

But the men who managed her seemed to be quite accustomed to their task; and after a sharp look directed at them by the skipper, he paid no more attention, but walked away.

It was different, though, with the boys; who, having ideas of their own connected with escaping from their position, watched the approach of the boat with intense curiosity, wondering how it could be rowed so easily against a current which ran with such tremendous force.

"I can't make it out," said Vince, as the boat came closer, and apparently with very little effort on the part of the men after they had pa.s.sed out by the opening by which the prisoners had been brought on board.

"How is it, then?" said Mike.

"I suppose it's because they know all the currents so well. It's very hard to see; but I think that, as the water rushes round this cove and goes right across, most of it pa.s.ses through the openings into our bay and makes all that swirling there."

"Of course it does," replied Mike. "I can see that."

"Well, you might let me finish," said Vince. "All this water flows right across."

"You said that before."

"And then," continued Vince, without noticing the interruption, "part of it which there isn't room for at the openings strikes against the rocks, and can't get any farther."

"Of course it can't."

"Well, it must go somewhere: water can't be piled-up in a heap and stay like that; so it's reflected--no, you can't call it reflected--it's turned back, and forms another stream, which flows back this way."

"It couldn't be," said Mike shortly.

"Well, that's the only way I can see, and that boat has come as easily as can be. Yes, I'm sure that's it, Ladle; and you may depend upon it that three or four feet down the water's rushing one way, while on the surface it's flowing in the other direction."

"Ah, well, it doesn't matter to us," said Mike bitterly, as the boat was brought up alongside cleverly, made fast, and her crew began to rapidly pa.s.s the bales over on to the deck, all being of one size, and, as Vince noticed, of a convenient size and weight for one man to handle.

"But it does matter to us, Mike," whispered Vince eagerly.

"Why?"

"Because you and I couldn't manage one of those big boats unless the currents helped us; but if we knew how these men managed them--"

"We could slip into one of them in the dark and get away."

Vince nodded, and Mike drew a deep breath.

"Don't look like that," whispered Vince; "here's Jacques coming to ask us why we don't help."

But they were wrong, for the captain took them each by the shoulder, his hands tightening with a heavy grip, which seemed to suggest that he could hold them much harder if he liked; and in this way he marched them before him to the cabin-hatch.

"Down vis you!" he said. "To-day you sall be vis me; to-morrow vis ze crew."

"Aren't you going to let us go back to-morrow?" said Vince quickly.

"_Non_! Go down."

That first word was French, but any one would have understood what it meant--the tone was sufficient.

The boys gave a sharp look round the little cabin, which was plain enough, with its lockers for seats, and narrow table, which just afforded room for the three who entered the place.

"Sit," said the captain shortly; and, directly after, "_Mangez_--eat.

You do not understand--_comprends_--ze _Francais_?"