But they could only build up imaginary ideas about the currents, channels and rocks which the vessel had to thread.
"I give it up," said Vince; "we can't understand it all without eyes." Just then the captain came down and seated himself to make a hearty supper, and by the time he had done it was evident that they were out to sea once more, for the vessel swayed softly from side to side, but there was little motion otherwise.
"You vill not be sea-seek to-night, _mes amis_," said the captain; "zere is hardly no vind at all.

You must go on deck soon and vistle for it to come." But he did not let them go up till he had himself been there for some time, and when they ascended eagerly, it was to see that the sky was brilliantly studded with stars, a very faint wind blowing from the west, and the Crag looming out of the darkness about a mile away, but Joe Daygo's boat had disappeared.
The lugger was gliding along very gently, on a north-easterly course, with all sail set; and the boys came to the conclusion that the last manoeuvre was to be repeated, but unless the wind sprang up the trip promised to be long and tedious.
But one never knows what is going to happen at sea.
They had been sailing for about a couple of hours, with the captain walking up and down with a long spy-glass under his arm; and from time to time he stopped to rest it on the rail and carefully sweep the offing, as if in search of something, but apparently always in vain, till all at once he closed the glass with a snap, and walking forward, gave a sharp order, whereupon two of the men hurried below, to return directly with a couple of lanthorns, which were rigged on to a chopstick kind of arrangement, which held them level and apart as they were attached to the halliards and sent gliding up to the mast-head.
"Signal," whispered Vince; "but we can't be near the shore." They searched the soft, transparent darkness for some time, gazing in the direction in which they had seen the captain use his glass, but it was all in vain; till Vince suddenly started, and pressed his companion's arm.

Then pointed to where, about a mile away, two dull stars close together seemed to be rising slowly out of the sea to a little distance above the horizon, to stand nearly stationary for a while, and then slowly sink down and disappear.
"Another smuggler," whispered Vince; and then turned to look up at the mast-head of their own vessel, but their signal had been lowered.
"Depend upon it," whispered Mike, "that boat will come up close, like the other did, and they'll make fast together and begin to shift cargo." "Think so ?" said Vince thoughtfully, as it began to dawn upon his mind that possibly Captain Jacques with his fast lugger ran across Channel to various smuggling ports, and brought cargoes over to deposit in the cavern ready for the contraband goods to be fetched by other vessels and landed here and there upon the English coast.

He did not know then that he had made a very shrewd guess, and hit the truth of how the captain had for years gone on enriching himself and others by his ingenious way of avoiding the revenue cutters, whose commanders had always looked upon the Crag as a dangerous place, that every one would avoid, but who would have given chase directly had they seen Jacques' long low swift vessel approaching any part of the English coast to land a cargo.
Vince did not ripen his thoughts then--that happened afterwards, for he was interrupted by a hand laid upon his shoulder, Mike feeling another upon his.
"You sink you vill keep ze middle vatch ?" said the captain: "_ma foi_, no! Go down and sleep, and grow to big man." He gave them a gentle push in the direction of the hatch.
"_Bon soir_," he said mockingly, and the boys went down.
"You'll hear the bolts shot directly," said Vince grimly, as he seated himself on the edge of the bunk.
_Click_--_clack_! came instantaneously, and then they heard an ascending step.
"Don't mean us to see much of what is going on," said Mike.
"Oh, it isn't that," replied Vince.

"He fancies we should do something while they're busy--get a boat down, slip on board the other lugger or whatever it is." "He needn't fancy that," said Mike.