“Not much need for the last, boy, I hope and believe,” answered he, “but it’s best perhaps as you should know at once—so, without any further palaver, the Albatross, the pirate brig, is inside the reef, and is lying at anchor at this very moment in the bay where you was so near losing the number of your mess.”
“The Albatross!” exclaimed I “nonsense, Bob; surely you must be mistaken! Is it not some whaler, think you, come in to water!”
“No, no,” said he; “it’s no whaler, Harry. Whalers wouldn’t come so far within the group as this here island. And when did ye ever know me mistaken about a vessel as has given us such good reason to remember her as this here brig? I knowed her the minute I set eyes on her: firstly, by a patch in her foresail, as you might ha’ noticed the last time we see her nextly, by the shape of her main-topmast-staysail; and, thirdly and lastly, by the whull look of her, which enables a seaman to recognise a ship in the same way as one of your ’long-shore folks recognises an acquaintance in the street when they see him, though he may be dressed exactly like a score of other people within hail. And what’s more, I can make a pretty near guess as to what’s become of that whaler that he went a’ter when he found we wasn’t to be had, for I see he’s got three of the chap’s whale-boats, to replace the two as was expended in our little trifle of a brush, no doubt.”
“This is important news, indeed,” said I “and news that provides matter for very serious reflection. What do you suppose has brought them in here, Bob? Did you see anything by which you could form an opinion?”
“Yes,” replied he, “I did. Want of water may be one thing but it’s my idee that they’ve come in here to give their craft an overhaul, for they’d no sooner let go their anchor than they outs boats, and one watch pulls ashore and turns to building huts on the green, whilst t’other watch sends down t’gallan’ yards and masts, and unbends the sails and sends ’em all down on deck.”
“Then they are likely to make a pretty long stay,” said I, “and, in that case, we may be discovered at any moment.”
“That they’re likely to stay here some time I’ll not deny,” returned Bob; “but I don’t feel partic’lar oneasy about bein’ discovered. It’s like enough as some on ’em may take the fancy in their heads to scale this here bit of a mountain; but I’ve made it my business to give the place a reg’lar overhaul this a’ternoon, and the thing can’t be done from the south’ard—not without ladders, that is, and good long uns at that; and I’ve found out, too, that though you may get round to t’other side of the mountain from here, you can’t get down to the level ground beyond. I never see such a place, it’s nothing but precipices one atop of t’other; and there’s one place I come to which one man might defend ag’in just as many as ever like to come a’ter him, by just standin’ behind a sort of wall in the cliff and shoving of ’em over the edge as they tried to get round it. No, no; you make your mind easy on that p’int, lad we ain’t to be got at except ’tis by water, and I reckon they’ll be all too busy to spare a boat’s crew to come the length of this; and if they did, it’s a thousand chances to one that they’d never find the openin’ into this here cove. Why I run past it myself the day as we brought you in here wounded, and I’d never have found it if I hadn’t knowed just where to look for it. So it’s my opinion as we may stay here quiet and comfortable enough so long as we’ve a mind to; and then, when we’re tired of waitin’, we can slip out quietly in the night, and nobody be any the wiser. So much for that. Now for an idee that’s come into my head, and that I can’t get rid of noways. Wouldn’t it be a pretty trick to sarve these chaps, if we was to take the brig and carry her out to sea under their noses, leavin’ of ’em here to amuse themselves the best way they could?”
“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.”