The night was brilliant starlight, and the strictest watch was kept, but
hour after hour went by, and there was not a sound; no dark shadow
creeping over the water from the frigate, which lay anchored, with her
lights showing reflections on the smooth sea.
Everything was in readiness to give the enemy a good reception if they
came, and in spite of his weakness, the boatswain rose from where he lay
on a folded-up sail beside one of the heaps of ball, to see if the light
in the lanthorn by his head was burning, and handy for the slow matches
to fire the guns.
"That there swab has gone down into his old hole by the water, sir, so
as to save his skin," said Strake, on one of the occasions when Syd was
going his rounds, "and here he might be o' no end of use saving his poor
father. You won't say I arn't to use the rope's-end arter this, sir."
"Hadn't you better go up to the hospital and lie down, Strake?" replied
Syd; "you are tired out."
"So are you, sir: so's all on us. But if I went and had a caulk just
when the enemy might come, what should I say arterwards when I met the
skipper?"
"But your injuries are such as sent you into hospital."
"Where I warn't going to stay, sir. Been up to the flagstaff, sir?"
"I have just come from there, and I have been with Mr Roylance, and had
a talk with Mr Dallas. All's well."
"Seems well, Mr Syd, sir," whispered the boatswain, so as not to be
heard by the men; "but I'm sure all aren't well. They're trying to
dodge us, sir, and you see if they don't come and board us just afore
daylight, when they think we're asleep. Tell them chaps at the look-out
to keep their eyes open, and be on the kwe weave, as the Frenchies call
it, for boats sneaking up in the dark. You've got two there."
"Yes, Strake, and each man has a glass, and those very instructions."
"What a horficer he will make," muttered the boatswain; and then the
watch went on, with the men peering through the transparent darkness at
the waves heaving over the little natural pier, and the bright stars
broken up into spangles on the smooth surface of the sea.
"Rather queer about Terry," said Roylance in a whisper, as Syd joined
him where he was leaning over the rough parapet, watching the surface
for the first sign of the enemy.
"Very," said Syd.
"I can't understand it."
"I can," thought Syd, as he recalled what he had seen; and in the full
belief that his messmate was heartily ashamed of his treacherous conduct
of the previous day, he went softly up to find the lieutenant sleeping
peacefully. He stood looking at him for a few moments, and then went up
to the empty battery, to stand looking down over the precipice, before
gazing up towards the flagstaff.
"All well, Rogers?" he said in a low, distinct voice.
"All well, sir," came back from far on high. "Nothing left the ship.
We could ha' seen by the broken water. It brimes to-night, and we
should have seen their oars stirring the water up."