“You are right, you are right!” said Brusque. “We will watch till evening. Perhaps something may turn up, by which we may aid the captives. And yet I know not what we can do. We have no weapons, no boat. Still, what we can do, we will do.”
With these resolutions, Brusque and his companion went to their cave, and laid their plans. Considering it extremely probable that the pirates would come ashore, they concluded to watch and wait for circumstances. Agreeing to take separate stations, and meet again at midnight, they parted, it being now dark.
Brusque had not waited long before he heard the regular dipping of oars in the direction of the pirate ship, and soon saw a boat with about twenty men approaching the shore. Getting into the cover of some bushes, he waited till they reached the shore. They were soon followed by another party of an equal number. Drawing their boats upon the beach, and leaving a single sailor as a guard, the whole party moved up to a little grassy hill. Here some sat down, and others stood around. The leader of the party gave directions to six of his men to go in search of water; taking two officers with him, he stepped aside, leaving the rest to themselves. While they were talking and laughing, the captain and his two friends sat down close to the bushes where Brusque lay concealed, and began to talk over the events of the battle.
The question was soon started as to the disposal of the ship and her inmates. It was agreed by all that the vessel must be scuttled. “Shall the people go down with her?” asked one of the officers. “What think you, Jaques?” said the captain. “As to the sailors, and those rascally passengers that entered into the fight, let them die,” said Jaques. “It’s the fortune of war, and I shall care as little for their death as for the bursting of so many bubbles. But the women——”
“Well, what of the women?” said the captain.
“Why,” said Jaques, “one of them is very pretty, and one of them is very old, and I do not like to be concerned in drowning either a pretty woman or an old one. They are very likely to haunt a man after death. Beside, there are thirty women in all; it will be too bad to tip them all into the sea.”
“Well,” said the captain, “what is your plan?”
“Well,” said Jaques, “I propose that we pick out the prettiest for ourselves, and send the rest ashore here to take care of themselves. They can set up a petticoat republic, or any other government they please.”
This plan occasioned a hearty laugh, but still it seemed to be approved. The party soon broke up and joined the rest. Brusque had heard the whole of their conversation, and, after a short time, crept from his hiding-place, and set out to join the fisherman at the cave. On his way he fell in with one of the pirates who was in search of water. He had no chance to conceal himself, but as it was dark, he spoke to the man, as if he were one of his comrades. “Have you found any water?” said he. “Not a drop,” said the other. “Well, go with me,” said Brusque, “and I will take you to a spring. I have been on this island before. A long time ago, on a voyage we stopped here, and I remember that between these two hills there was a fine spring.”
“Indeed,” said the other, “is it you, Tom? Really, I did not know you; your voice is strangely changed.” “I’ve got a cold,” said Brusque, coughing. “But we are near the place, I think. It’s so dark we may not be able to find it. However, we can but try. Yes, here is the spot—I remember it by this tall palm-tree. I can see the shape of it against the sky, and know it is the same. The spring is within ten feet of this place. Aye, here it is! How delightful it will be to get a drink of fresh water, just from the ground. It’s as good to drink direct from mother earth, as in infancy to draw milk from a mother’s breast.”