James took out a small pocket-book and laid it on the table; then he smoothed out the roll of paper, drew the points of the compass on it, and began to copy from the rough sketches and signs which covered the leaf of his little book.
Ferrier watched him in silence.
“I could not do that were it to save my life,” he said at last.
“I learned something, campaigning by the walls of Dantzig,” replied James.
Ferrier watched the growing of the hasty map with admiration. His own talents for organization and tactics had given this obscure landowner the position he held in the Prince’s haphazard army, but the professional soldier was invaluable to him. He sat wondering how he could have got on without James.
“See,” said Logie, pushing the paper to him, “here lies the Venture off Ferryden, at the south side of the river, and here is Inchbrayock Island. That English captain is a fool, or he would have landed some men there. You and I will land on it, Ferrier. And now,” he went on, “the man is twice a fool, for, though he has taken the guns from the fort and put them on board one of the unrigged ships, he has left her beside the quay. This point that I have marked with a cross is where she is moored. It would be idle not to make use of such folly! Why, man, if we can carry through the work I have in my mind, we shall blow the Venture out of the water! Three nights I have skulked round the harbour, and now I think that every close and every kennel that opens its mouth upon it is in my head. And the island is the key to everything.”
Logie’s eyes shone in the dim room like the eyes of some animal watching in a cave.
“We must get possession of the ship at the quay-side,” continued he. “Then we will take a couple of the town guns and land them on Inchbrayock. A hundred men from Brechin should be sufficient.”
“It must be done at night,” said the other.