"A breeze that first knocks you down yourself. I would rather have the wind blow another way," added Raymond.
"I don't mean to get up a fight, or anything of that sort."
"Well, what do you mean?" asked Raymond, impatiently.
"We have plans of our own; but we are not going to disclose them till we have some assurance that the other fellows will stand by us," answered the cautious leader of the intense party. "We are going to make ourselves felt."
"We are not going to agree to anything without knowing what it is," said Lindsley.
"And we are not going to let on to fellows that may go to the principal, and blow the whole thing. I will say this: If your fellows will pledge themselves, word and honor, to stand by us to the end, I will agree that the ship shall return to Havre, or some other port in France, within twenty-four hours, and that the tables shall be turned in our favor."
"How are you going to do it?" asked Lindsley.
"Leave that to me. I have a plan which cannot fail. Do the fair thing by us, and we will get you out of the scrape."
"I will agree to this, and nothing more: I will stand out till we have a chance to be heard," replied Raymond, who began to have some hope of the mysterious movements of Howe. "I will do nothing but stand out."
"We don't ask you to do anything else. We will do the rest, if you back us up."