The geographer was sleeping like a mole in his bed, when a strong hand dragged him from his sandy couch.
"My eyes?" replied Paganel, rubbing them vigorously.
"Yes, your eyes, to distinguish the Duncan in this darkness. Come."
"And why my eyes?" said Paganel to himself, delighted, nevertheless, to be of service to Glenarvan.
He rose, shaking his torpid limbs in the manner of one awakened from sleep, and followed his friend along the shore. Glenarvan requested him to survey the dark horizon to seaward. For several moments Paganel conscientiously devoted himself to this task.
"Well, do you perceive nothing?" asked Glenarvan.
"Nothing. Not even a cat could see two paces before her."
"Look for a red or a green light, on the starboard or the larboard side."
"I see neither a red nor a green light. All is darkness," replied Paganel, whose eyes were thereupon involuntarily closed.
For half an hour he mechanically followed his impatient friend in absolute silence, with his head bowed upon his breast, sometimes raising it suddenly. He tottered along with uncertain steps, like those of a drunken man. At last Glenarvan, seeing that the geographer was in a state of somnambulism, took him by the arm, and, without waking him, led him back to his sand-hole, and comfortably deposited him therein.
At break of day they were all started to their feet by the cry,--
"Hurrah! hurrah!" replied Glenarvan's companions, rushing to the shore.
The Duncan was indeed in sight. Five miles distant, the yacht was sailing under low pressure, her main-sails carefully reefed, while her smoke mingled with the mists of the morning. The sea was high, and a vessel of her tonnage could not approach the shore without danger.
Glenarvan, provided with Paganel's telescope, watched the movements of the Duncan. Captain Mangles could not have perceived them, for he did not approach, but continued to coast along with only a reefed top-sail.
At this moment Thalcave, having loaded his carbine heavily, fired it in the direction of the yacht. They gazed and listened. Three times the Indian's gun resounded, waking the echoes of the shore.
At last a white smoke issued from the side of the yacht.
"They see us!" cried Glenarvan. "It is the Duncan's cannon."