A MIDNIGHT VENTURE
ears. With infinite caution he paddled round the prow and, grasping the cable of his boat, raised his head a trifle.
This nearly ended in his undoing. At the stern of the Firefly one of Flagg's Kanakas was squatting, his head resting on his hand. Across his knees was balanced the rifle which had hitherto kept the invading force at bay. This much Tempest took in at one lightning glance, when his hand slipped on the wet cable, and the Kanaka spun round as he heard the slight splash Tempest could not avoid making.
Like a stone the swimmer sank and made for shelter behind the Nautilus, with a dreadful fear that the lookout had seen him. The Kanaka, however, after staring with suspicion in the direction of the noise, came to the conclusion it must have been made by a fish, and settled down again to his long, monotonous vigil.
Tempest waited impatiently for a while, and then ventured to take another peep. The sentry
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