st like a pale star, and then a blue glow which lit up the scene with
a curiously sickly glare.

It made everything very plain, and by this light we could see that there
were three crowded boats out in the blue circle of light, while we could
just see the fourth beyond them upside down, the keel just above the
water, and three men seated astride.

"Regular capsize," said our foreman. "Hope none of the wounded chaps
aren't drowned. Don't mind about the rest."

The blue light burned out, but not before we had plainly seen that it
was burning in the bows of the largest boat, and that the men on that
capsized had been dragged into one of the others. Then, as we listened,
the babble of voices ceased, the plash of oars recommenced, and
gradually died away.

"Well," I said, "we may as well go back and report what we have seen.
They've gone now."

"Yes," growled our foreman, holding his hand to his wound, "and they've
left their marks behind."

CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

AMONGST THE WOUNDED.

Weary as our walk down to the mouth of the Gap had been, that back
seemed far worse, and we reached the fire by the counting-house, which
still burned brightly, being fed with more wood, to find my father
anxiously awaiting our news.

"Gone!" he said. "Yes, but they may return. Two--no we cannot spare
two men, one must go and keep watch to warn us of their return."

"I'll go, Captain Duncan," said Bigley, limping up. "I can't walk about
much, but I can sit down there on the top rocks and watch."

"Very good, my lad," said my father, "but take your pistols and fire
twice rapidly if boats come in again."

As Bigley squeezed my hand and started off, my father exclaimed:

"Now I must have a messenger to go to Ripplemouth for Doctor Chowne.
What man is not wounded?"

There was a murmur among the group assembled about the fire, a grim
blood-smeared powder-blackened set of beings, several of whom had had
their hair scorched away by the explosion. There was not a man who was
not ready to go, but there was not one who was not wounded.

"I hardly know whom to send," said my father. "Sep, can you get over
there?"

"I'll try, father," I replied from where I was sitting down on a piece
of rock; but I spoke so faintly that my father came to my side, and
caught my cold damp hand, and laid his upon my wet forehead.

"Madness!" he muttered. "Look here, my lads," he cried, "a couple of
the women must be found at once."

"Ahoy!