Itwasslowwork，buteverystrokecarriedusfartherawayfromtheshoalandnearertheshore，tillatlasttheshootingdieddown，andwhenthemoondidcomeoutweweretoofarawaytobeindanger。Notlongafterwardweansweredashorewardhail，andtwoWhitehallboats，eachpulledbythreepairsofoars，darteduptous。Charley’swelcomefacebentovertous，andhegrippedusbythehandswhilehecried，\"Oh，youjoys!Youjoys!Bothofyou!\"
Whentheflotillahadbeenlanded，NicholasandIandawatchmanrowedoutinoneoftheWhitehalls，withCharleyinthestern—
sheets。TwootherWhitehallsfollowedus，andasthemoonnowshonebrightly，weeasilymadeouttheoysterpiratesontheirlonelyshoal。Aswedrewcloser，theyfiredarattlingvolleyfromtheirrevolvers，andwepromptlyretreatedbeyondrange。
\"Lotoftime，\"Charleysaid。\"Thefloodissettinginfast，andbythetimeit’suptotheirneckstherewon’tbeanyfightleftinthem。\"
Sowelayonouroarsandwaitedforthetidetodoitswork。Thiswasthepredicamentofthepirates：becauseofthebigrun—out，thetidewasnowrushingbacklikeamill—race，anditwasimpossibleforthestrongestswimmerintheworldtomakeagainstitthethreemilestothesloops。Betweenthepiratesandtheshorewerewe，precludingescapeinthatdirection。Ontheotherhand，thewaterwasrisingrapidlyovertheshoals，anditwasonlyaquestionofafewhourswhenitwouldbeovertheirheads。