alligators, or enemies of all kinds. The treasure may be buried deep in dead men’s bones. We may be all our lives finding it. …”
“Susan said we weren’t to be long.”
“The mate meant, don’t waste time. We won’t waste time, but looking for treasure you never can tell to a year or two. We must face our dangers. We must keep together. And you must do what you are told.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
“Now then, at the same time as me … dig in.”
They both dug in, and the Swallow , a heavy little ship to row, because of her shape and her ballast, moved on a zigzag course across the lake.
Able-seaman Titty knew that it was not the thing to keep looking over your shoulder, but she was not very sure of how to manage without. Halfway across, she took both oars, and made Roger sit in the stern and steer.
Cormorant Island was little more than a heap of rocks and stones, sticking up out of the water. There was some heather on it, a little grass, but very little, and two trees, both dead. One of the trees was lying on the rocks. It had been uprooted a long time ago, and the ground about it was nothing but great stones. The other tree, gaunt and bare, splashed with the white droppings of the birds, was the perching place of the cormorants.
“We’re quite near,” said Roger. “I can see the birds.”
Titty looked round. Two cormorants, black, long-necked, a patch of white at their beaks, flew away fast and low over the water. Two others waited on the topmost branch of the dead tree.
“They’re guarding the treasure,” said Titty.