“I worked on them walls a year, once. I’d ought to know it.”
“D’ye make out anything more, Ed?”
“They’re not far off yet, I guess, cap.”
“Do you think it’s an ambush, Captain Tucket?” Margaret asked.
“No saying, mister. May as well make ready,” he answered. “We’ll lay out our boat’s kedge to seaward, so as we can warp off in a hurry.”
They rowed the boat out into the bay, dropped their kedge, and backed her stern-first to the beach. They struck the awning, hoisted sail, and laid their oars in the thole-pins. They waited for another half-hour, watching the mysterious forest.
“I guess we’ll go off to the sloop, cap,” said a seaman. “He’s give us the flying foretopsail.”
“Them paharos is back among them berries,” said Ed. “I guess it was boys come for plantains.”
“I dunno,” said Tucket. “It’s odd our man ain’t come.”
“I must go up to the town to find out about him,” Margaret said. “I can’t wait like this.”