"I'll stay and draw them," Barry interrupted.
"You've damaged your ankle. The man who stays must be able to run. I shall be that man."
Septimus's words brought so vehement a protest from the others that he thought for a moment that the French would hear and discover them.
"No time for argument!" he cut them short. "It's my plan and I carry it out."
"Not alone," rapped Fitzroy Cocker. "I'm coming with you. Mr. Barry, Mr. Preece, you'll get back to the beach as soon as possible. Do as Mr. Quinn advises."
"The French are starting up the dunes!" Barry announced.
"Come on, then, Cocker."
Septimus started to creep away along the sand shelf. Mr. Preece's anxious voice made him halt.
"Mr. Quinn, sir, where will you head for?"
"The rocky headland-if we get through. Good luck!"
A moment later he and Cocker were crouching side by side at the other end of the shelf, pistols in hand. Below on their right the line of Frenchmen were advancing up the slope, but they were still hidden from the men on the dunes above.
"Ready?" "Aye-ready!"
Both midshipmen leaped together on to the top of a sandy hillock. For a second or two they stood there, conspicuous figures in their white knee-breeches and blue coats. Cocker took off his hat and waved it aloft. His red hair was a splash of brilliant colour in the light, for in a very short time now the sun would rise.
They were seen. A shout from the "defenders" of the sandhills was caught up and repeated by the men advancing from below.
"Voila-Anglais? Oui, Anglais!"
The yell of "Anglais!" echoed among the sandhills as fifty throats took up the cry. Septimus saw the line of men coming diagonally down the dunes towards them, brandishing their muskets. As he gripped Cocker's elbow and thrust him forward he caught sight of a blue shako rising above a crest of sand not twenty yards down the hill. They had nearly waited too long.
"You lead!" he shouted to Cocker.
They ran for it like a pair of rabbits, dodging among the dips and crests of the sandhills. And after them, yelling themselves hoarse, pounded the fifty volunteers intent on capturing the first representatives of the hated English nation they had ever seen. Septimus hoped sincerely that no one among them had the sense to realise that the presence of two English naval officers meant that they had landed somewhere nearby with other Englishmen. He also realised that if some genius among the pursuit had a loaded musket and stopped to take aim and fire, he might bring down one of the fugitives. For although Cocker was taking an excellent line that afforded all possible cover, the two were in view for most of the way-and the leading Frenchmen were no more than fifty paces behind them.
Cocker's longer legs were holding a fast pace. Septimus was hard put to it to keep on his heels. But the plan was succeeding. They had drawn the whole party away from Barry and Preece, who must by now be on their way to warn the seamen on the beach.
Crash!
The report, and the loud buzzing of something flying above his head, told that one man at least had thought of firing his musket. If that was to be repeated many times, either he or Cocker was bound to be hit. And they had to find a way of doubling on their tracks, too, for at present they were running westward, away from the rocky headland where-if they were lucky-they might be taken off by one of the frigate's boats.
Within another half-minute the opportunity presented itself. The sloping dune beneath their feet seemed to break off in a small precipice, and he saw a little below them the glitter of a stream. This must be the stream from which the Althea's men were filling their casks on the other side of the sandhills. It had carved a deep and narrow course, a miniature canyon, in its passage, and the water sped along in a bed four feet deep, bordered here and there by scrubby thorn-bushes.
"Stream-bed-hide!" he managed to gasp as he and Cocker half-ran, half-fell down the slope into the glen.
Cocker understood. With hardly a second to spare before the pursuers would appear on the edge above, both midshipmen sprang down into the stream. It was only a couple of feet in depth and the water was far from cold. In a moment they were lying pressed against the sandy bank, which overhung slightly, where a fringe of bushes grew close to the edge. With most of their bodies under water and their faces against the sand, they supported themselves with the hands that grasped their pistols. The bushes concealed that one sign of their presence.
It was an uncomfortable position to adopt but they would not have to hold it for long. Down the wall of sand the pursuers came sliding and shouting, to gallop to the stream and leap across it. Some of them jumped short and fell in, and one Frenchman took off fi-om very close to the bushes which sheltered Septimus-so close that the sand he kicked into the water splashed the midshipman's face.
This was the danger period. Anyone looking back from the further side of the stream might easily see the two dark-blue arms clutching the bank. But the volunteers were too excited to consider a backward glance, though someone could be heard breathlessly demanding whether he should go down the river-course and try to cut off the sacres Anglais. A man with a loud voice told him to come on and stop being a fool. Which, Septimus reflected, was just as well, for the man might have emerged on the beach and seen the water-party, By this time the Althea's men should have received the warning, and-with Barry and Preece-would be hastily embarking their casks to pull back to the frigate.
The noise of pursuit died away. The two midshipmen had scrambled dripping out of their hiding-place the moment the last Frenchman had vanished into the dunes, for it could not be long before the enemy realised that there was no one in front of them. It was tempting to think that a brisk trot down the stream-bed would bring them to the beach and the possibility of safety, but that they dared not do. Fifty men with muskets could wreak havoc among sixteen seamen armed with cutlasses. They dashed upstream, Cocker leading, and round the inland base of the sandhills.
Even as they turned eastward on level ground, a chorus of distant angry shouts told them that their ruse had been discovered.
"We've got a good lead," panted Cocker over his shoulder.
"They'll not catch us now."
Septimus had not breath enough to answer, but he hoped Cocker was right. He himself was getting near the end of his strength. He wondered whether to throwaway the heavy pistol he still carried, but decided to keep it. There might be use for it yet.
Fresh yells from the rear broke out. They had been seen. Two muskets crashed, but no bullets came near them. Cocker increased his pace and Septimus, with a great effort, managed to keep up.
The senior midshipman was making for the foot of the ridge of dune close to their former hiding-place. Once round the corner of that ridge they could head seaward, following the crest until they reached the tip of the rocky peninsula. Again a musket banged and the shot went wide. Round the corner they raced-to halt in dismay.
In front of them was a grassy plain under the dunes, and across it stood a line of tents. Plainly this was the camp of the French recruits. Three men were standing together near the tents, talking and gesticulating-probably they were discussing the musket-shots they had heard.
"Come on-at 'em!" shouted Cocker, and dashed forward. Septimus, gripping his pistol, followed. The Frenchmen sprang round at Cocker's shout. Two of them had muskets in their hands, but only one of them managed to raise his weapon before the red-haired midshipman was upon them. Cocker's fist smashed into the man's chin as he dashed the levelled musket aside with his other arm. Septimus, a few yards behind, saw the third man sweep up his sword for a downward cut at Cocker, and fired his pistol at pointblank range. The swordsman fell, but the remaining Frenchman, swinging his musket by the barrel, aimed a tremendous blow at Septimus, who ducked under it and fell flat. Then Cocker's pistol exploded deafeningly close to his ear and Cocker's hand dragged him to his feet.