What was our surprise to see every bastion mounted with heavy guns and the walls full manned. We took the precaution of landing under shelter of the ship and fired a musket to call out sentinels. Down ran Ben Gillam and a second officer, armed cap-a-pie, with swaggering insolence that they took no pains to conceal.
"Congratulate you on coming in the nick of time," cried Ben.
"Now what in the Old Nick does he mean by that?" said Radisson. "Does the cub think to cower me with his threats?"
"I trust your welcome includes my four officers," he responded. "Two are with me and two have gone for partridges."
Ben bellowed a jeering laugh, and his second man took the cue.
"Your four officers may be forty devils," yelled the lieutenant; "we've finished our fort. Come in, Monsieur Radisson! Two can play at the game of big talk! You're welcome in if you leave your forty officers out!"
For the space of a second M. Radisson's eyes swept the cannon pointing from the bastion embrasures. We were safe enough. The full hull of their own ship was between the guns and us.
"Young man," said M. Radisson, addressing Ben, "you may speak less haughtily, as I come in friendship."
"Friendship!" flouted Ben, twirling his mustache and showing both rows of teeth. "Pooh, pooh, M. Radisson! You are not talking to a stripling!"
"I had thought I was—and a very fool of a booby, too," answered M. Radisson coolly.