“But how?” cried Rodd eagerly.
“Well, I’ll tell you, Mr Rodd. I proposes that we just show ourselves once or twice towards evening, and then make a dash right across the river to hide again among the trees. That’ll set ’em all thinking and asking one another what our game’s going to be. Then we will lie up till it’s dark, up with the grapnel, and steal quietly down the river, keeping pretty close to the trees, till we are about opposite the enemy, and then we’ll make a mistake.”
“Make a mistake?” said Rodd. “I don’t understand you.”
“Well, sir, I aren’t done yet. What I mean is, have an accident like; one of us sneeze, or burst out a-coughing, and me break out into a regular passion, calling him as coughed a stoopid lubber and a fool for showing the enemy where we are. It will be best for me to be him as coughs or sneezes, and do it all myself so as not to have any muddle over it. Then I shouts out, ‘Pull for your lives, boys—pull!’ And we makes no end of splashing as we goes on down the river, and all the time as supposing that it’s going to be dark enough so as they can’t fire at us. Then it seems to me, Dr Robson, sir, that the enemy will say to theirselves, ‘They want to get out to sea, and they are gone,’ while as soon as we have got a bit lower down we’ll lie up under the trees and wait till about an hour before daylight, and all as quiet and snug as so many rats. They’ll think they have got rid of us, and all the while we shall be waiting our time to steal up again right by ’em and begin to come down once more from where they don’t expect; and then—board.”
“Hah!” cried Rodd. “Capital!”
“You see, gentlemen, it’ll all have to be done as quiet as quiet, for they’re sure to have a watch set. I know what out-and-outers they are to sleep, but it’s too much to expect that they will have both eyes shut at a time like this. One way or t’other we shall have the tide with us, but even if we don’t I think it might be managed, and anyhow we shall have no big guns at work upon us, and watch or no watch we’ll manage to lay this ’ere boat alongside of our schooner, and if any one says anything again’ our getting aboard, I should like to know why, and if we do get aboard I don’t think it’s in the schooner’s new crew to drive us back again into the boat. There, gentlemen, that’s all I know, and if some one else—the doctor here, or Mr Rodd, or Mr Morny, who is a French naval officer—can give us a better way, I’ll follow anywhere, and I know the lads will come after me like men.”
There was silence for about a minute, and then the doctor coughed, drawing all eyes upon him.
“There is no better way,” he said. “It’s a splendid plan.”
A murmur of assent arose, and Joe Cross looked quite modest.
“But it will be some time yet before we can make our attempt,” said the doctor; “and how are we to pass the weary time till then?”