"
"How did you know about that?" His mind raced; perhaps the hiding
place was not as safe as he imagined. "Could you see the smoke, then?
Do you think others saw it as well?"
"Nay, lad. Fear not. What smoke there was could hardly be seen: a wisp
or two among the rocks, which I saw only when I brought my skiff close
in."
"Then how?" asked the prisoner anxiously.
"T'was the sea hawk that gave you away. She's got a roost up near the
top, and it seems you smoked her out proper. Wouldn't land all day,
just kept circlin' about and looking down. If there's one thing a
beast won't abide it's the smell of smoke. Puts `em in a God's fear,
and no mistake."
"But how did you know about the hiding place? I thought that just
myself and my childhood companions....."
"And of course you thought that I was never young. But truth to tell,
I was. Lost the virgin there, I did, and haven't seen her since." He
let out a grunt of laughter, and broke into a boyish grin. Then slowly
returned to the matter at hand. "All in all, I doubt there's half a
dozen as know of it, and none of them English.
Pages:
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102