"Ay, the nightmares, sure enough. A brig and two tops'l schooners working up steady from the south-east. They'll carry a heap of men, I'm thinking, and we'll have our hands full."
"Right? How soon can they be here, captain?"
"Wind's light—a couple of hours, I should say, at soonest."
"Our old plans stand?"
They had long since discussed the possible campaign, though not very lately.
"If they have as many men as I expect, we'll have to change 'em a bit. Unless they're absolute fools, which it's as well not to reckon on, they'll split and strike us more than one side at once. There's easy landing the other side the island."
"But a difficult way across."
"They don't know that, and they'll trust to luck to get across once they're ashore."
"You can keep this side all safe with the Torch, I suppose, captain?"
"Any quarter this time?" asked Cathie anxiously.