“You can serve out one pannikin of wine to each man,” he said, “but no more.  They will want that to pull them together.  Tell the first mate to get them on board as soon as possible, and set them to work to tidy up the ship and get everything ready for setting sail at a moment’s notice.  Tell him an English frigate is reported as close to the island.  I am going up to look after her.”

Two hours’ steady walking took them to the top of the hill.  There were no signs of any vessel as far as they could see.  The captain, who had brought his glass with him, carefully examined every island in sight.  Presently he uttered an exclamation: 

“There are three boats rowing together close under the cliffs there,” he said, pointing to the nearest island.  “No doubt the frigate is lying behind it.  They must be searching for some concealed harbor like ours. Peste! this is awkward.  What do you think, Jacques?”

“I should say you were right in what you said last night, captain.  They must have got an idea that our rendezvous is somewhere hereabouts, though they don’t know for certain where, and they are searching all the island round.  If they come along here like that we shall be caught in a trap.  A vessel might sail close by without suspecting there was an entrance here, however hard they might be looking for it; but if they send boats rowing along the shore they couldn’t help finding it.  Still, there is nothing to prevent our sailing away now, as the island is between us and them.”

“That is so,” the captain said.  “But if they come while we are away, in the first place they would capture all the booty in the stores, and in the second place they might lie quiet in the harbor and would sink the other ships when they returned.  I will go down to the port again, Jacques, and will send up two of the men from the storehouse to keep watch here, turn and turn about.  Do you remain here until you are relieved.  I will leave my glass with you.  If there is anything fresh, leave the boy on watch and come down with the news yourself.  I must talk this matter over with the mates.  We have no direct interest in the stores, but we must do the best we can for our owners.”

Jacques and Ralph watched the distant boats through the glass until they disappeared round the end of the island, then turned the glass seaward.  Jacques was using it at the time.  “See!” he exclaimed, “there are three sails together there.”

“I can see them plainly enough,” Ralph said.  “What do you make them out to be?”

“A schooner, a brig, and a three-masted vessel.  They are lying close together, and I fancy boats are passing between them.  However, I couldn’t swear to that.  They must be fifteen miles away.  I expect they are our consorts, and a merchantman they have captured.”

“Can they see them from the other side of that island?” Ralph asked excitedly.

“I should say they could,” Jacques replied after pausing to calculate the line of sight.  “It depends how far round the frigate is lying, and how close in shore.  But if they have sent any one up on the hill there, of course they can make them out as plainly as we can.”  Jacques handed the glass to Ralph.