From Powder Monkey to Admiral Part 13

Jack agreed that there was no risk of the tide rising to the place where they then were, so they sat down on the dry sand, and being tired from their exertions, very soon fell fast asleep.

Jack was not much addicted to dreaming. When he went to sleep he did so in right earnest, and might have slept through a general engagement, if he had not been called to take a part in it.

Bill had a more imaginative mind, which was seldom altogether at rest.

He fancied sometimes that he was escaping from the top of the tower, and tumbling head over heels to the bottom; at others that he was running along, with the Frenchmen shouting after him to stop. Then he fancied that one with a long pair of legs had overtaken him, and was grasping him tightly by the arm.

He awoke with a start, and found that Jack was trying to arouse him.

Daylight was streaming through the mouth of the cavern; beyond could be seen the blue sea s.h.i.+ning brightly in the rays of the sun, with a cha.s.se-maree, or some other small vessel, gliding swiftly across it, impelled by a smart breeze off sh.o.r.e.

Jack had taken it into his head that the people on board might see them.

"I don't think there's much chance of that," said Bill. "Even if they happen to turn their gla.s.ses this way, depend on it, if we sit quiet, they'll not discover us."

The vessel soon disappeared, and they then looked about to examine more carefully the cavern in which they had taken refuge.

The tide was still at its highest, and the water washed up to the ledge in front of the cavern. The ground rose considerably above that point to where they sat, and on looking round they saw that it continued to rise behind them for some distance.

Bill advised that they should at once explore it, observing that though, even at spring-tide, with the wind off sh.o.r.e, the water might not reach to where they sat; yet should a gale blow from the northward, it might drive the waves far up the cavern, and expose them to great danger. "We cannot tell what may happen," he said, "and it's as well to be prepared for the worst. Besides, if the soldiers come to look for us, they may find the mouth of the cavern, and make their way some distance in, but if they do not discover us they'll fancy we are not here, and go away again as wise as they came."

Jack saw the wisdom of this proposal. They accordingly groped their way on, aided by the light, which, though dim, pervaded the part of the cavern they had reached. Every now and then they stopped, and, on looking back, could still see the entrance, with the bright sea beyond it.

At length they came to a rock, which seemed to stop their further progress; but, feeling about them, found that the cavern made a turn here to the left. They now proceeded with the greatest caution, for fear of coming to some hole down which they might fall.

"If we had a torch we might see what sort of a place we have got to,"

observed Jack.

"But we haven't got a torch, and no chance of getting one; and so we must find out by making good use of our hands," answered Bill. "We must move slowly on, and feel every inch of the way, putting out one hand before we lift up the other."

They were groping forward on their hands and knees, and were in total darkness; still, as they looked back, there was a faint glimmer of light, which appeared round the corner of the rock, and this would enable them to find their way back again. Hitherto they had met only with smooth rock, gently inclining upwards; possibly it might lead them, if they went on long enough, to the top of the cliff, though they hoped that there was no opening in that direction.

Here, at all events, they thought that they should be secure, even should their pursuers enter the cavern.

As they were getting hungry, they agreed to go back and eat their breakfast in daylight near the spring, which would afford them a draught of cool water. They returned as they had come, feeling their way along the rock.

Just before they reached the turning in the cavern, they discovered a recess which would hold both of them; and they agreed to make it their hiding-place should the soldiers by any chance come to look for them.

Without much difficulty they got back to the spot where they had slept, which was close to the stream. Here they sat down, and produced the provisions which they had brought from the tower. On examining their stock, they calculated that they had sufficient to last them for a couple of days.

"When that's gone, what shall we do?" asked Jack.

"We must try to pick up some sh.e.l.l-fish from the rocks," answered Bill.

"The soldiers by that time will have got tired of looking for us, and if any persons from the top of the cliffs see us they won't know who we are, and will fancy we are fisher-boys getting bait. Perhaps before that time a smuggling lugger may come off here, and we may manage to hail her before we run short of food; at all events, there's no use being frightened about what may happen."

Every now and then one or the other went towards the mouth of the cave to look out. As long as the tide remained high there was no danger of their being discovered; but at low water the French soldiers were very likely to come along the sands, and could scarcely fail to see the mouth of the cavern.

The tide was now rapidly going down, black rocks appearing one by one above the surface.

They accordingly determined to retire to the inner part of the cavern, and to wait there till they calculated that the tide would once more have come in.

"We must make up our minds to enjoy six hours of daylight, and to endure six of darkness," observed Bill.

"I sha'n't care much about that; we can but go to sleep and amuse ourselves the best way we can think of while the tide is in," said Jack.

"If we had some hooks and lines we might fish," said Bill.

"We should only catch rock fish, and they are not fit to eat," replied Jack.

The boys carried out their plan. It was an easy matter to get through the sleeping-time, but they became somewhat weary from having nothing to do during the period that the tide was in. They could do little more, indeed, than sit looking at the sea, and watching the few vessels which appeared in the offing. Now and then they got up and walked about to stretch their legs. They were afraid of bathing, lest while swimming about they might be seen from any part of the cliff above.

Whether the soldiers had come to look for them they could not tell; one thing was certain, they had not been discovered, and there were no signs of any persons having approached the mouth of the cavern.

They husbanded their food, but it was rapidly diminis.h.i.+ng. At night they therefore, when the tide had gone out, crept down on the sands, and managed to cut off some limpets and other sh.e.l.l-fish with their knives from the rocks. These would have sustained them for some days had they been able to cook them, but they had no means of lighting a fire.

Though limpets may help to keep body and soul together for a short time, they are not wholesome food, especially when raw. Their bread was all gone, but as long as they had some figs and cheese they got down the limpets very well; but both figs and cheese came to an end, and they both felt that they were getting very weak.

"If we don't take care we shall starve," said Bill.

"We must do something or other. I don't see anything but trying to get on board a lugger, as we talked of; but then in searching for her we should run the chance of being made prisoners again."

"You must come round to my plan, and run off with a boat of some sort,"

said Jack.

"That's just what I cannot do," said Bill.

"It's either that or starving," said Jack.

"We should have to get food first, even if we did run off with a boat,"

observed Bill. "It would never do to put to sea without something to eat. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll try and make my way back to Captain Turgot's. It cannot be far from this. I'll ask them to give us some food. They are sure to do that, though they might not like hiding us; and perhaps they might tell us of some boat in which we could get off without the owner being the worse for the loss. If you'll stay here, I'll go this very evening as soon as the tide is out. I calculate that I should have time to get there and back before the flood is up; and I'm not afraid of being refused, at all events." Jack wanted to go too; but Bill urged that one was less likely to be discovered than two, and that it would be better for him to go alone. Jack at last agreed to this, and directly the sand appeared below the mouth of the cavern, Bill set out.

CHAPTER NINE.

VISIT TO CAPTAIN TURGOT'S COTTAGE.

As it was growing dusk, Bill had no fear of being seen as he made his way from the cavern. He felt rather weak, but he had a brave heart, and pushed on. He had some rough rocks to climb over, and others he managed to get round, walking through the water where it was not too deep.

Sooner than he expected he reached the bay near which the Turgots'

cottage was situated. To avoid the other cottages and huts he had to make a wide circuit.

He cautiously crept up towards the back of his friends' dwelling; then, keeping close to the wall, he looked in through the window of the room in which the family generally sat.

Jeannette was alone, spinning as usual, but looking somewhat pensive.

Bill tapped at the window, and Jeannette looked up.

"May I come in?" he asked in French.

Jeannette came to the window.

"Who are you?" she inquired.