once, holding some halyards in her hands. She began to haul downwards, hand over hand, and a little flagstaff with a flag on it went bobbing and jerking up to the masthead.
“They’re hoisting a flag,” said John.
The little staff straightened itself at the top of the mast, and the flag, a three-cornered one, blew out in the wind.
Titty drew a long breath that nearly choked her.
“It is …” she said.
The flag blowing out in the wind at the masthead of the little boat was black and on it in white were a skull and two crossed bones.
The four on the island stared at each other.
Captain John was the first to speak.
“Roger stops here,” he said. “The mate watches the landing-place. Titty watches the western shore. I watch the harbour. No one will show themselves. It’s quite likely they haven’t seen us. Wait till they’re well away on that tack and then we’ll get to our places. They could see us if we moved now.”
The Amazon , sailing fast on the port tack, was soon half across the lake.
“Now,” said John; and the three of them, leaving Roger, slipped down from the lookout place into the camp. Susan hid herself behind some bushes close to the landing-place. Titty crawled through the undergrowth till she could see out over the steep rock that ran along the western side of the island. John hurried through the trees until he came to the harbour. There he found a place from which he could look out without being seen. He unstepped the mast of the Swallow in case it could be seen over the rocks, and then hid himself and waited.