CHAPTER XXXIII.
We were some time in learning what effect our stratagem had had upon the pirates. On our parts we were delighted at the scheme succeeding so wonderfully, and dubbed the hero of it "The Knight of the Descending Ladder." They kept very close, and we saw but little of them until the ship returned. Then, indeed, there was a great row, and we saw the unfortunate "Knight" brought out on a sort of board, apparently to tell his tale, which must have been very wonderful to judge by their amazement. He seemed very ill indeed, and while some of us expressed a little sorrow for him, there were a few who wondered how he dare be still alive after their incredible exertions to kill him.
Schillie declared she had a great contempt now for the pirates, since they had been deceived and frightened by such children's play, and began to speculate upon getting rid of them all by degrees through working on their fears, and a sparing use of the gun.
Mother.—"Nothing surprises me so much as the change in your character. Formerly you scolded me for even killing a wasp (that allowed enemy to man and fruit), and yet now you coolly talk of shooting pirates as if it was a common morning's amusement."
Schillie.—"I shall not be happy as long as these wretches remain, especially as it only requires an earthquake to expose us to view. And now that they have got some notion (fools as they are) that the island is not without its dangers, we may as well follow it up, and, whoever they leave behind this time we must take care they never see again."
Mother.—"What! you mean to kill and bury them before the others return. I think it a very good plan, and it will effectually frighten them away if they come back two or three times, and on each return find those they have left here gone, without a trace of their disappearance. But I can never persuade myself that there is one amongst our party who can deliberately go and shoot a man in cold blood who has never done them any harm."
Schillie.—"Pooh! pooh! just put yourself into their power for a day, and I'll be bound you come back quite ready to do anything to get rid of them. Such a set of wretches I never saw."
Jenny (smiling and smirking to me).—"And yet, Ma'am, they thought so much of Mrs. E. that time we were with them. The captain could not take his eyes off her."