“Brack doesn’t know that I’ve got this pistol,” I said.
“What of it?”
“As he thinks I’m unarmed—helpless—he won’t be on his guard—when I go aboard tonight.”
“Oh!” It was Betty who exclaimed, but she smothered the exclamation with her hand.
“What you going to do when you get on board?” asked Pierce.
“You’ll stay here with Miss Baldwin,” I continued, paying no attention to his query. “If everything goes as I hope, George will come down and bring you to the yacht.”
It was dark now and I prepared to leave.
“Hold on,” said Pierce. “What’s the use of your going swimming in that cold water? You’d have to swim the river, and then out to the yacht, and by the time you go on board you’d be so cold and stiff you wouldn’t be any good. Tell you what let’s do; let’s paddle up in the canoe, you ’n’ me. It’s so dark they’d never see us. Then you can get on board, warm and supple, and fit to do something.”
There was much sense in his argument, and after discussing it for awhile I agreed to it. Brack, of course, must not suspect Pierce’s presence.
“As soon as I go over the side you’re to paddle off and be ready to return to Miss Baldwin.”