He had thought of it at the time it was uttered, and several times since; but he had not had the time to weigh its meaning.
The owner's son knew very well that every incident connected with the tug, and with the other vessels in sight, had been carefully observed and weighed by his father and Captain Breaker.

They had seen the boat leave the Leopard.

It looked like a stupid movement to do such a thing, when the approach to the Bellevite could be made so much more rapidly and safely in the tug.
There must be a motive for such a singular step.

Of course the passage of the boat had been closely observed, and the starting up of the screw of the Leopard had been duly noted.

As the tug came near the long-boat, the latter had fired upon it.