Maria added her affectionate adieux to those of her father, and in a few minutes the boat was moving down the river under full sail.

“Hugh, you may as well overhaul the cabin at once,” Rupert said; “we have paid for its sole use during the voyage.  Cast your eye carefully round, and see if there is anything that strikes you as being suspicious.  I see no arms on deck; see that none are hidden below.”

Hugh returned on deck in a few minutes.

“It seems all right, Master Rupert.  There are some provisions in a locker, and in another are a cutlass, a couple of old pistols, and a keg half full of powder; I should say by its weight there are ten pounds in it.  The arms are rusted, and have been there some time, I should say.  There is also a bag of heavy shot, and there is a long duck gun fastened to the beam; but all these things are natural enough in a boat like this.  No doubt they fire a charge or two of shot into a passing flight of wildfowl when they get the chance.”

“That’s all right then, Hugh, especially as they evidently could not go down into the cabin without our seeing them; and as with our pistols and swords we could make short work of them even if they did mean mischief, we need not trouble ourselves any further in the matter.  It’s going to be a wet night, I am afraid; not that it makes much difference, but one would rather have stayed on deck as long as one could keep awake, for the smells of the cabin of a Dutch fishing boat are not of the sweetest.”

Rupert was not mistaken.  As the darkness came on a thick heavy mist began to fall steadily; and he and Hugh descended through the half door from the cockpit into the cabin.

“Now let us have supper, Hugh; there are plenty of good things; and I have a famous appetite.”

The thoughtfulness of Mynheer von Duyk’s housekeeper had placed two candles in the basket together with two drinking glasses; and the former were soon lighted, and by the aid of a drop or two of their own grease, fixed upright on the rough table.  Then a splendid pie was produced; the neck was knocked off a bottle; the lads drew out their clasp knives, and set to work.

“Here is a bottle of schnapps,” Hugh said, examining the basket when they had finished a hearty meal.

“You may as well give that to the boatman, Hugh.  I expect the good frau had him in her thoughts when she put it in, for she would hardly give us credit for such bad taste as to drink that stuff when we could get good wine.”

Hugh handed out the bottle to the boatman, who took it with a surly grunt of satisfaction.  It was raining steadily, and the wind had almost dropped.  An hour later the lads agreed that they were ready for sleep.  Hitherto the door had been slightly open to admit air.

“Shall I shut the door, Master Rupert?”

“Well, perhaps you had better, Hugh.  We have got into the way of sleeping heavily at Dort, without any night guard or disturbance.  I doubt not that these Dutchmen mean us no harm.  Still it is well to be on the safe side.”