It was easier to ask that question than to answer it, and they cast a
brief glance round the bare, cupboard-like place, with its two shelves,
which represented the prisoners' beds, each bearing a small horsehair
mattress and a French cotton blanket.
"Put out the light," was all the answer Vince received; and, after
holding it to the side of the place for a moment or two, he opened the
lanthorn door and blew the candle out.
"No good to keep that in. Only makes the place hot and stuffy. I'm
going to open that light."
The "light" was a sort of wooden shutter, which took the place of an
ordinary cabin window, and as soon as he had drawn it wide open the soft
night air entered in a delicious puff.
"Hah! that's better," sighed Vince. "Come here and breathe, Ladle, old
chap. It's of no use to smother ourselves if we are miserable. I say,
isn't it a beautiful night?"
"Who's going to think anything beautiful when one's like this? It's
horrible!"
"Pst!" whispered Vince, for the voice of the captain was plainly heard
overhead, and the deep growl of old Daygo in answer, the way in which
the tones grew more subdued suggesting that the speakers had gone right
forward.
"I should like to pitch that old villain overboard," said Mike, in a
fierce whisper.
"Well, if you'd let me tie a rope round him first I'd help you, Ladle;
but I shouldn't like him to drown till he'd had time to get a little
better."
"Better?" said Mike: "he'll never grow any better."
"Well, never mind him," said Vince. "Now then, let's look the state of
affairs in the face. You won't tell us what to do, so I must see what I
can think of."
"Have you thought of anything?" cried Mike eagerly.
"If you shout like that, it won't be much good if I have," said Vince,
in an angry whisper.
"I'm very sorry, Vince," said Mike humbly. "I'll be more careful."
"We shan't get away if you're not."
"Get away? Then you see a chance?" cried Mike eagerly.
"Just the tiniest spark of one if you're ready to try."
"I'll try anything," whispered Mike.
"Wouldn't mind going into the seal hole again?"
"Vince, old chap, I'd do anything," said Mike, seizing his
fellow-prisoner's arm and holding him tightly. "What shall we do?"
"I'm afraid it's going to be very risky, for we don't know anything
about the rocks and currents, and we may be upset. Now do you see?"
"I see: you mean escaping in a boat," said Mike eagerly; "but how?--what
boat?"
"Don't take much thinking to know that," replied Vince; "the only thing
that puzzles me is how they could be so stupid as to leave a boat there
swinging to a painter."
"Old Joe's boat!" cried Mike joyously; and Vince clapped a hand over his
mouth in anger, for just then they heard the voices of the captain and
old Daygo as they walked forward again; and as far as the prisoners
could make out, the two men were walking up one side of the deck and
down the other, talking earnestly, but what was said the boys could not
catch.
"Yes, old Joe's boat," said Vince in a subdued voice; "but if you're
going to shout we may as well go to bed and have a night's rest."
"I really will mind, Cinder--I will indeed," whispered Mike. "I
couldn't help that, old chap. But tell me, how are you going to manage
it?"
"There's only one way," replied Vince, with his lips close to his
fellow-prisoner's ear; "climb out of the window, and then over the
bulwark to get down inside it where it's dark; then creep along till we
can feel the painter."
"Then creep over the bulwark and drop down one after the other."
"Cut the painter," said Vince.
"And then we're free."
There was a pause, during which Mike got tight hold of Vince's hand, and
the latter felt that it was cold and wet from the boy's excitement.
"I don't know so much about being free," whispered Vince. "We should be
away from this wretched old lugger; but where should we be going then?
Didn't I warn you about the rocks and currents?"
"Yes; but we should have old Joe's boat, and we can manage that easily
enough."
"Yes, if we're in the open sea, even if she's sinking, Ladle; but
shut-in here among the rocks I don't know how we should get along. But
anything's better than sitting down and not having a try."
"Yes, anything," said Mike, in a low, excited whisper.
"Yes, anything. We must try for the sake of those at home. I know my
father is sure to say to me, `Didn't you try to escape?'"
"So will mine," said Mike. "Oh yes, we must have a good try. Think we
can climb up?"
"I'm just going to try," said Vince, kneeling down to take off his
boots. "If you like to try you can. If not, you've got to go down on
all fours under the window, so that I can step on your back and climb
out."