Yes, I'm sure that's it, Ladle; and you may depend upon it that three or four feet down the water's rushing one way, while on the surface it's flowing in the other direction." "Ah, well, it doesn't matter to us," said Mike bitterly, as the boat was brought up alongside cleverly, made fast, and her crew began to rapidly pass the bales over on to the deck, all being of one size, and, as Vince noticed, of a convenient size and weight for one man to handle.
"But it does matter to us, Mike," whispered Vince eagerly.
"Why ?" "Because you and I couldn't manage one of those big boats unless the currents helped us; but if we knew how these men managed them--" "We could slip into one of them in the dark and get away." Vince nodded, and Mike drew a deep breath.
"Don't look like that," whispered Vince; "here's Jacques coming to ask us why we don't help." But they were wrong, for the captain took them each by the shoulder, his hands tightening with a heavy grip, which seemed to suggest that he could hold them much harder if he liked; and in this way he marched them before him to the cabin-hatch.
"Down vis you!" he said.

"To-day you sall be vis me; to-morrow vis ze crew." "Aren't you going to let us go back to-morrow ?" said Vince quickly.
"_Non_! Go down." That first word was French, but any one would have understood what it meant--the tone was sufficient.
The boys gave a sharp look round the little cabin, which was plain enough, with its lockers for seats, and narrow table, which just afforded room for the three who entered the place.
"Sit," said the captain shortly; and, directly after, "_Mangez_--eat.
You do not understand--_comprends_--ze _Francais_ ?" "We do--a little," said Mike.
"Aha! zat is good," said the captain, with a peculiar laugh.

"Zen ve sall be _bons amis_--good friend, eh?
Now eat.

You like soup, fish, eh ?" "We don't like to be taken off like this, sir," said Vince, who turned away from the food, good as it was, with disgust, wondering the while how he could have eaten so hearty a meal with the captain before.

"We want to know what you are going to do with us." "Ah, truly you vant to know," said the captain, partaking of his soup the while.