CHAPTER XXIII
IN THE OPEN BOAT
Captain Anthony walked up and down the beach throughout the long night, while his crew slept in the warm sand. He knew that the fate of the expedition, disastrous or successful, depended upon the developments of the ensuing day, and he was impatient to know the fate which awaited him. Twice during the night he roused the men to haul the boat farther up the beach, as the tide was rising. They responded sleepily and then dropped asleep again in careless sailor fashion.
As daylight approached, the captain was surprised and alarmed to find he was near a timber station. It had been unnoticed on the previous visit. Soon after sunrise, a gang of men put in an appearance and commenced carting lumber to a jetty not more than half a mile away.
He knew his presence must be discovered, and it was not long before one of the men from the jetty was seen approaching.
"What's going on?" asked the man, as he came up.
Captain Anthony told him he was bound to Freemantle for an anchor, to replace one which was lost. The man grinned at this.
