o 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
passed 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 passes 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
pass 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."