“It would be a pretty trick indeed,” I replied, “if it were possible; but at this moment I cannot see how it is to be done. The difficulties in the way of its accomplishment are too many for only a couple of men to overcome. Were we half-a-dozen, or even four, we might perhaps do it; but we could never get her out clear of the reefs by our two selves. Besides, before we could get the canvas on her, they would be alongside of us in their boats, even if the watch, which they will of course leave on board, were overpowered.”
“I don’t reckon as they’ll keep much of a watch aboard her where she’s lying,” returned Bob. “She’s as safe as if she was in harbour, not more’n a mile from the beach, and on the lee-side of the island; and as to gettin’ her out, you’ve only to stand to the south’ard under fore-and-aft canvas, and it’s my belief as she’d fetch out clear of the reef from where she’s lyin’ in one tack. You recollect as I told ye that the reef dipped as it went to the south’ard? Well, it’s my opinion as there’d be water for her over it by the time she was far enough south to make it worth while to think about heaving of her about. That’s the road as she came in by.”
“If that is the case, perhaps it might be done, then, if we could contrive to gain possession of their boats first of all,” said I; “but what is to become of the cutter in the meantime? I’ve no fancy for leaving her here to fall into their hands; and, to speak the truth, now that she has brought us so well thus far, I should like to finish the voyage in her. No, if such a thing were attempted at all, it would be attended with the utmost risk, and could only be successful in the event of our being able to steal on board; and the cutter is not suitable for such service. But I’ll tell you what has just occurred to me. There is just a bare possibility of our being able to steal on board in the canoe some dark night, and set fire to the brig; and then come back here, get the cutter under weigh, and be off at once. But this even can only be done in the event of there being no one left on board at night, and this I consider very unlikely.”
“That’s the plan!” exclaimed Bob, with enthusiasm. “Burn the craft afore their eyes, and leave ’em to get off in their boats, if they like.”
“Not so,” said I. “If this scheme is undertaken at all, I should certainly do it effectually. Take their boats away, and burn the brig, and here they must remain prisoners for a considerable time at least; for this island is quite out of the route of all honest craft, ourselves perhaps excepted.”
“Better and better still!” exclaimed Bob, in high glee. “Now, I never should ha’ thought of that, because, somehow, it seems cruel and unnat’ral like to burn sich a beauty of a craft as that there brig; but it’s the proper plan, Hal—there’s no doubt of that. We two couldn’t take care of both the brig and the cutter in anything but the very finest of weather; and it’s better to burn the craft, beauty as she is, than that them villains should misuse her to rob and murder honest seamen, and do worse to their wives and darters. Curse ’em! I shan’t forget in a hurry that poor young thing as we see lying dead in the cabin of that American ship; and I’d burn the finest craft as ever was launched, afore they should have the chance to commit another sich a piece of devilish villainy. Now, Harry, lad, mind me, we do this here little piece of work. You’ve got hold of the eend of the right coil of idees, and I can see as your heart’s set upon it; and I, Robert Trunnion, am the man as’ll back ye up in it through thick and thin, and there’s my hand upon it. You get well and strong as fast as you knows how, and I’ll go aloft there every day, and keep my eye upon ’em all day long, and see what ’tis they intends doing; and the first chance we has, mark me, the job’s done. Now, let’s blow the light out, and get a good night’s sleep upon it.”
Bob suited the action to the word, and in less than ten minutes I had auricular evidence that, as far as the sleep was concerned, he was carrying his precept most thoroughly into practice.
On the following morning, as soon as breakfast was over, Bob and I set off up the ravine, my companion providing himself with our best telescope, a few biscuits, and a flask of weak grog, as it was his intention to remain on the summit of the mountain the entire day, watching the motions of the pirates, unless he happened to see anything rendering an earlier return advisable.
I did not feel quite so easy in my mind as Bob did with regard to the chances of a boat being detached to examine the island, and, in such an event, of our cove escaping detection; so I arranged with him that, if he observed anything of the kind, he was to fly his handkerchief from the branch of an isolated tree which grew on a small projecting platform near the summit, and which was quite visible both from the cutter and the ravine, but was hidden by the mountain-top itself from the pirates; and I decided that, if the signal were displayed, I would convey Ella to the spot he had spoken of on the previous evening as capable of being so easily defended, and would then return to the cutter, try the effect of a shell or two upon the boat if she appeared within the cove, and afterwards, if need be, retire to the place of Ella’s concealment, and make a stand there.
In furtherance of this arrangement I got Bob to show me the spot, which I found, on personal inspection, to be fully as impregnable as he had declared it to be; and I also ascertained, as he had done, that it was quite impossible to get round the mountain by land.