“If you can enable us to recover the master of this ship, and his daughter, and any other of the people who were on board her, I will promise to set you at liberty; but, if you are retaken, you must stand the consequences,” said Commander Olding.
“That is the very proposal I was going to make, sir,” answered Dillon. “I will undertake to carry this ship alongside the Ouzel Galley, which was captured by buccaneers, and is now used by them to go pirating. Her former master and several of his people are alive, for I saw them lately, and if you manage as I will advise you, you will recover them likewise. I confess, sir, that I wish to save my life, and I desire also to make what amends I can for the harm I have done. Will you believe me?”
“I believe you to be a great villain, but I trust you to perform your promise, because it will be to your interest to do so,” answered the commander. “Should you prove treacherous, you may depend upon being instantly shot.”
“I have not the slightest doubt about that, sir,” said Dillon, with an attempt at a laugh. “The sooner you can get this ship ready for sea the better. I was left here to do so, not supposing that you had any boats on shore to come off to us; and from the number of shot-holes in her hull, it was feared that, unless we could get them securely stopped, should a strong breeze get up she would go to the bottom.”
Gerald felt greatly relieved when he heard the commander undertake to carry out Dillon’s proposal.
After a short consultation with his lieutenants, Commander Olding despatched all his own boats, and two of the Research’s which had escaped injury, to bring off the remainder of the officers and crew, with provisions, ammunition, and stores, and four guns to increase the armament of the Research. These would make her more than a match for the Ouzel Galley. He also directed that the guns left in the fort should be spiked, as too much time would be lost in bringing them down to the beach and throwing them into deep water.
“It will matter little, however, if the Spaniards do take possession of the island, as no one would wish to deprive them of it,” he observed to Mr Tarwig.
“I should think not, sir; and, for my part, I hope never to set eyes on it again,” was the answer.
The boats made several trips, the whole day being expended in bringing off the stores. The carpenters had in the mean time plugged all the shot-holes, while the boatswain and the men working under him rove fresh braces, fished the damaged spars, and repaired all the standing rigging, so that by the following morning the Research was ready to proceed on the expedition.
The commander had had another interview with Michael Dillon, who swore solemnly that neither Captain Tracy nor his daughter, nor the other old captain, had received the slightest injury. He had seen them, he declared, taken on board the Ouzel Galley. The young lady’s trunks and their valises had also been removed with them.