"Master," says he, "so far as my observation goes, the best part of mortal success has been achieved by the turning of happy accidents to advantage, and our success in this undertaking must likewise depend upon favorable circumstances coming to our hand. Nevertheless, we can do something, and the best chance of gaining a victory is to attack the enemy on the side where assault is least looked for; and so," says he, seeing I was pretty well driven to the end of my patience with his philosophy, "instead of hanging about in De Pino's rear, where he undoubtedly expects to spy us, we must get in front of him, where he as little looks to meet us as the man in the moon."
"And how on earth do you expect to get in front of him by coming down here?"
"By the river," says he, "where there are neither rocks to throw us over, nor briars to balk our progress."
"He will be leagues ahead of us, man, before nightfall," says I, in desperation.
"No matter for that; we'll be leagues ahead of him before daybreak. I warrant we'll be at Valetta a day before he arrives."
"Where is Valetta?"
"Valetta is a town on this river that he must pass through. 'Tis four days' march from here by road—a shorter journey than by the river; but we must advance while he is resting, journeying by night as well as by day. Turn and turn about, we need never stop at our oars save to eat our meals together."
"But we have no boat," says I.
"We must make one," says he.
I laughed, yet not merrily, and asked him if he expected we could make a boat in four days, when it had cost me four months and more to make a raft.