His astonishment at the sight which the deck presented to his lately-awakened optics was very great; the greater, that no one would take the trouble to answer his anxious questions.
The boat had now come up to within a quarter of a mile.

With cutlasses flashing, and oars dipping all together, they came closing in with a long, even stroke.
"We don't want them much within a hundred yards of us," said Capt.
Mazard in a low tone.
"I'll hail them," replied Raed, taking the speaking-trumpet, which the captain had brought along.
The crisis was close at hand.

We clutched the stocks of our rifles, and stood ready.

There was, I am sure, no blenching nor flinching from the encounter which seemed imminent.

We could see the faces of the men in the boat, the red face of the officer in the stern.