Allez!"

"There was nothing in sight till Monsieur Carré came round the corner,"
said Martin, and went off to his look-out.

"These preventive men, with their constant new regulations, are an
annoyance," said the old man quietly. "Some of them will be getting hurt
one of these days. It is a pity the Government can't leave honest traders
alone. They worry you also on Sercq, I suppose?"

"I hear of them. But we have nothing to do with the trading at Belfontaine,
so they don't trouble us."

"Ah no, I remember. Well, come across again after your first voyage and
tell us how you get on, Monsieur Carré."

Helier sauntered back with me towards the landing-place. Carette had
disappeared. I wondered if my plain speaking had offended her, but I was
glad she had heard.

I pulled out of the little bay and ran up my lug and sped straight across
to Herm. Every rock was known to me, even though it showed only in a ring
of widening circles or a flattening of the dancing waves into a straining
coil, for we had been in the habit of fishing and vraicking here regularly
until Torode took possession. And many was the time I had hung over the
side of the rocking boat and sought in the depths for the tops of the great
rock-pillars which once held up the bridge that joined Brecqhou to Herm
and Jethou. But now the fishing and vraicking were stopped, for Torode
liked visitors as little as did Jean Le Marchant.