“There are no boats, sir, except those of the fishermen around on the other side of the inlet.”
“Lead the way then and show me where they are. We’ll make the schooner, and we’ll soon overhaul these Yankees.”
Ethan signaled Longsword silently to stop pulling, and the dragoon obeyed. Running feet could be heard thudding dully upon the planking of the pier.
“Did you hear that?” asked the boy.
“I did, faith,” answered Longsword. “And he speaks the truth. Let them get out to the schooner and it’s all up with us. There’s a good breeze blowing and these clouds will not hang before the moon long. So wid the wind in their sails and floods of light to see by, we can’t escape them.”
Ethan felt with his foot for the cutlasses and pistols that lay in the stern.
“Could we prevent them gaining the schooner?” he asked.
“All you want is encouragement,” declared Longsword, “and you’d face an army. No, Master Ethan, we couldn’t stop them. Ye know that I’m never anyways backward in a fight; but, faith, this would be mere folly, so it would.”
There was a silence, during which they resumed pulling. At length Ethan dropped his oars and whirled about, facing the dragoon.
“I have it!” he cried.