Page:Guy Boothby--A Bid for Fortune.djvu/298



we had left her side and turned our boat's nose shoreward, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass half absorbed in the general shadow. Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and the chirp of the rowlocks. For nearly an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen. But nothing of an alarming nature met our ears. Every moment the island was growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly outlined.

As soon as the boat grounded we all sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore. It was a strange experience, that landing on a strange island on such an errand and at such an hour, but we were all too much taken up with what lay before us to think of that. Having left the water, we came to a standstill beneath a group of palms and discussed the situation. As the command of the expedition had been given to me, I decided upon the following plan: First and foremost, I would leave the party behind me and set out by myself to ascertain the whereabouts of the hut. Having discovered this, I would return, and we would thereupon make our way inland and endeavour to