"
In another five minutes they crossed the river, whose increased
width showed them that they had assuredly passed the junction of
the stream. Then they turned and followed the right hand bank.
"Stretch out a bit now, lads; you have fifteen miles' straight
rowing before you, and the sooner you get to the other end, the
better. We may have a long night's work before us, and I want to
be able to get to the place where we fished before morning."
The men bent to their oars, and the boat sped swiftly along. The
current was very slight, and after two hours' rowing, the lieutenant
judged that they must be but a short distance from the village
Hassan's messenger spoke of. Accordingly, he told the coxswain to
steer across to the other bank, and warned the men that the slightest
splash of their oars might attract attention, and that they were
to row easier for the present. In a quarter of an hour the wall of
forest ceased, and a hundred yards farther they saw houses. Two or
three dim lights were visible, and the sound of voices could be
heard. The boat's head was now turned out somewhat farther into
the stream, so as to be out of sight of anyone who might by chance
come down late to draw water. After rowing a hundred yards they
could dimly make out the outline of a white house.
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