"I agree with you, sir."
"Good; then all we have got to do is lay a trap; the boat's the trap."
"You mean conceal a squad of men in the bottom, and send it adrift again?"
"Exactly; lower the mast, as though Craig here had been unable to step it; or, better still, heave it overboard; the loss of weight will give room for another man. Then cover the lads over with the canvas. They will never suspect the ruse on the Sea Gull, or study it out through glasses. They 'll simply recognize their boat, and steer for it."
"The fighting odds will be pretty heavy, sir," said Smith soberly.
The Captain's smile lit up his stern features.
"I would not so consider if it was my privilege to be along," he replied. "We must trust to surprise, and get the crew below fastened down before an alarm is sounded on board. A dozen armed men ought to clear the decks. How do you look at the affair, Craig? Will the plan work?"
"I am not sure I understand exactly what is proposed, sir?"
"My thought is, that this man Henley will be sufficiently anxious to get hold of you two again, and regain those papers, so that he will steam about slowly all night, hoping to get sight of the missing boat at daylight. He has no means of knowing that the revenue officers are after him. If he sights us at daybreak, he 'll make a run, and show us a clean pair of heels. He 'd be hull down in five hours, for this is a slow old tub. Now what I propose is this," and the Captain counted off the points on his fingers. "There is about an hour of darkness left—sufficient to enable me to run this cutter in behind Cosmos Island safely out of sight. In the meanwhile we 'll dismantle that small boat a bit, slip a dozen good men under the canvas, and turn her adrift."
"And you wish me to go also?"