still--the
Inquisition. Meanwhile, however, there seemed little immediate fear of
either as George peered out from his hiding-place and intently scanned
the length of the quay. As has been said, not a single living thing was
visible, but there were several craft moored alongside, small vessels
mostly, such as coasters, fishing craft, and lighters; but probably a
portion at least of the crews of these craft lived and slept aboard
them, and a restless man coming up on deck for a breath of fresh air at
an inopportune moment might suffice to ruin everything.

Cautiously George emerged from his place of concealment, flitted across
the width of the quay, and peered over its edge. He looked down upon
three clumsy, half-decked fishing craft, apparently deserted, but quite
unfit for his purpose. Beyond them was a tier of heavy lighters moored
three abreast, with nobody aboard them, and beyond them a small coasting
craft with hatches on, and her cabin and forecastle doors, as well as
her skylights, closed. Nobody aboard her, certainly. Glancing around
him, and signalling his unseen companions to follow him up, he ran along
the edge of the quay until he had passed the coaster, when he found
himself close to several tiers of lighters, all moored three abreast,
beyond which were two small coasters, moored one outside the other, then
more lighters, and a whole crowd of fishing craft. Swiftly George sped
along past these, glancing continually about him to assure himself that
he was unobserved and that his people were following him, and at length
he came to where a large caravel was lying moored to the quay, with all
her boats in the water alongside her. Here was what he wanted at last,
and pausing but an instant to beckon his companions, he sprang from the
quay into the vessel's main rigging, and from thence noiselessly made
his way to her deck. Less than half a minute later his thirteen
companions stood beside him.

Collecting his followers round him with a wave of his hand, Saint Leger
rapidly issued his instructions. He had already satisfied himself that
the boats alongside contained everything that he required in the way of
equipment, therefore, all that was necessary was to take possession of
them and get away from the parent craft without alarming any of the crew
who, he judged from certain evidence, were asleep below--therefore at
the conclusion of his few brief orders his followers slid one after the
other down the