CHAPTER TWO.

BOTHER THE FOG.

A minute before those words were shouted from the main-top, the low-toned conversation carried on by the two young officers, with an occasional creak or rattle from a swinging sail was all that broke the silence of the drowsy vessel; now from everywhere came the buzz of voices and the hurrying trample of feet.

"It's just as if some one had thrust a stick into a wasp's nest,"

whispered Frank Murray to his companion, as they saw that the captain and officers had hurried up on deck to follow the two lads' example of bringing their spy-gla.s.ses to bear upon a faintly seen sail upon the horizon, where it was plainly marked for a few minutes--long enough to be made out as a low schooner with raking masts, carrying a heavy spread of canvas, which gradually grew fainter and fainter before it died away in the silvery haze. The time was short, but quite long enough for orders to be sharply given, men to spring up aloft, and the sloop's course to be altered, when shuddering sails began to fill out, making the _Seafowl_ careen over lightly, and a slight foam formed on either side of the cut-water.

"That's woke us up, Richard, my son," said Murray.

"Yes, and it means a chance at last."

"If."

"Only this; we just managed to sight that schooner before she died away again in the haze."

"Well, that gave us long enough to notice her and send the _Seafowl_ gliding along upon her course. Isn't that enough?"

"Not quite, old fellow."

"Bah! What a fellow you are, Frank! You're never satisfied," cried Roberts. "What have you got in your head now?"

"Only this; we had long enough before the haze closed in to sight the schooner well."

"Of course. We agreed to that."

"Well, suppose it gave them time enough to see us?"

"Doubtful. A vessel like that is not likely to have a man aloft on the lookout."

"There I don't agree with you, d.i.c.k. It strikes me that they must keep a very sharp lookout on board these schooners, or else we must have overhauled one of them before now."

"Humph!" said Roberts shortly. "Well, we shall see. According to my ideas it won't be very long before we shall be sending a shot across that schooner's bows, and then a boat aboard. Hurrah! Our bad luck is broken at last."

"Doesn't look like it," said Murray, who had dropped all light flippancy and banter, to speak now as the eager young officer deeply interested in everything connected with his profession.

"Oh, get out!" cried Roberts. "What do you mean by your croaking? Look at the way in which our duck has spread her wings and is following in the schooner's wake. It's glorious, and the very air seems in our favour, for it isn't half so hot."

"I mean," said Murray quietly, "that the mist is growing more dense."

"So much in our favour."

"Yes," said Murray, "if the schooner's skipper did not sight us first."

"Oh, bother! I don't believe he would."

"What's that?" said a gruff voice.

"Only this, sir," said Roberts to the first lieutenant, who had drawn near un.o.bserved; "only Murray croaking, sir."

"What about, Murray?" asked the elderly officer.

"I was only saying, sir, that we shall not overhaul the schooner if her people sighted us first."

"That's what I'm afraid of, my lads," said the old officer. "This haze may be very good for us, but it may be very good for them and give their skipper a chance to double and run for one or other of the wretched muddy creeks or rivers which they know by heart. There must be one somewhere near, or she would not have ventured out by daylight, and when we get within striking distance we may find her gone."

The lieutenant pa.s.sed the two lads and went forward, where he was heard to give an order or two which resulted in a man being stationed in the fore chains ready to take soundings; and soon after he was in eager conversation with the captain.

"Feeling our way," said Murray, almost in a whisper, as he and his companion stood together where the man in the chains heaved the lead, singing out the soundings cheerily till he was checked by an order which resulted in his marking off the number of fathoms in a speaking voice, and later on in quite a subdued tone, for the haze had thickened into a sea fog, and the distance sailed ought to have brought the _Seafowl_ pretty near to the schooner, whose commander might possibly take alarm at the announcement of a strange vessel's approach.

"I'm afraid they must have heard us before now," said Roberts softly.

"Ah, hark at that!"

For as the man in the chains gave out the soundings it was evident that the depth was rapidly shoaling, when, in obedience to an order to the helmsman a turn or two was given to the wheel, the sloop of war was thrown up into the wind, the sails began to shiver, and the _Seafowl_ lay rocking gently upon the swell.

"Bother the fog!" said Murray fretfully. "It's growing worse."

"No, sir," said the seaman who was close at hand. "Seems to me that it's on the move, and afore long we shall be in the clear, sir, and see where we are."

The man's words proved to be correct sooner than could have been expected, for before many minutes had pa.s.sed, and just when the mist which shut them in was at its worst, the solid-looking bank of cloud began to open, and pa.s.sed away aft; the sun shot out torrid rays, and those on board the _Seafowl_ were seeing the need there had been for care, for they were gazing across the clear sea at the wide-spreading mangrove-covered sh.o.r.e, which, monotonous and of a dingy green, stretched away to north and south as far as eye could reach.

"Where's the schooner?" exclaimed Murray excitedly, for the _Seafowl_ seemed to be alone upon the dazzling waters.

"In the fog behind us," said Roberts, in a disappointed tone. "We've overdone it. I expected we should; the skipper was in such a jolly hurry."

Frank Murray took his companion's words as being the correct explanation of the state of affairs; but they soon proved to be wrong, for the soft breeze that had sprung up from the sh.o.r.e rapidly swept the fog away seaward, and though all on board the sloop watched eagerly for the moment when the smart schooner should emerge, it at last became plain that she had eluded them--how, no one on board could say.

"It's plain enough that she can't have gone seaward," said Roberts thoughtfully. "She must have sailed right away to the east."

"Yes," said Murray thoughtfully.

"Of course! Right over the tops of the mangroves," said Roberts mockingly. "They hang very close, and there's a heavy dew lying upon them, I'll be bound."

"Oh, yes, of course," said Murray. "She couldn't have pa.s.sed in through some opening, I suppose?"

"Where is the opening, then?" cried Roberts shortly.

"I don't know," replied his companion coolly; "but there must be one, and the captain of the schooner must be quite at home here and know his way."

"I wish my young officers would learn to know their way about this horrible sh.o.r.e instead of spending their time in talking," cried an angry voice, and the two midshipmen started apart as they awoke to the fact that the captain had approached them unheard while they were intently sweeping the sh.o.r.e.

"Higher, my lad--higher up," cried the captain. "The cross-trees, and be smart about it.--Yes, Mr Murray, you're right; there's a narrow river somewhere about, or perhaps it's a wide one. Take your gla.s.s, sir--the opening is waiting to be found. What do you think of it, Mr Anderson?"

"I don't think, sir. I feel sure the schooner has come out of some river along here, caught sight of us, and taken advantage of the mist to make her way back, and for aught we know she is lying snugly enough, waiting till we are gone."

"Thank you, Mr Anderson," said the captain, with studied politeness, "but unfortunately I knew all this before you spoke. What I want to know is where our friend is lying so snugly. What do you say to that?"

"Only this, sir--that we must run in as far as we can and sail along close insh.o.r.e till we come to the opening of the river."