Page:Barbour--For the freedom from the seas.djvu/210

 gets me is how they'd dare show a light if everything wasn't—well, all right."

"Why? Who's to see it a night like this? None of the patrol boats would be near enough to catch even a glimpse of it. Light doesn't travel far in a mist of this sort."

"Right-o! I suppose they chose tonight on purpose, eh? What'll we do now?"

"I guess we can't do anything but wait and watch. If we could—Listen! Oars!"

Oars, indeed, and quite distinct in a muffled way, oars rattling and creaking against row-locks or thole-pins and becoming louder each instant. A faint sound came from almost below them, as though the watcher on the beach had kicked a stone in moving. Then the lantern appeared once more and swung back and forth several times, moving slowly away from the cliff as the bearer approached the edge of the surf.

"Gee, this is exciting!" murmured Martin. "Say, it would help a bit if we had our automatics with us, wouldn't it? We might capture a German landing-party!"

"I don't think they're Germans," said Nelson thoughtfully, his voice no more than a whisper. "Not even a German sub would dare come so close." 185