The lieutenant repeated what Nancy had told him to the officers, and the major was so much annoyed, that he went up to the admiral and stated what the report was, and that there were only women to contend with.

“It is mentioned in the despatches, I believe,” observed the admiral, “that there are only women supposed to be in the cave; but the smugglers who were on board the cutter—­”

“Have left with their specie yesternight, admiral; so that we shall gain neither honour nor profit.”

“At all events, you will have the merit of obeying your orders, Major Lincoln.”

The major made no reply, but went away very much dissatisfied.  In the meantime, the sergeant had communicated with his non-commissioned officers and the privates ordered on the duty, and the discontent was universal.  Most of the men swore that they would not pull a trigger against women, if they were shot for it, and the disaffection almost amounted to mutiny.  Nancy, in the meantime, had not been idle, she had found means to speak with the boats’ crews of the Yungfrau, stated the departure of the smugglers with their gold, and the fact that they were to fight with nothing but women, that the soldiers had vowed that they would not fire a shot, and that Moggy Salisbury, who was with them, swore that she would hoist up her smock as a flag, and fight to the last.  This was soon known on board of the Yungfrau, and gave great disgust to every one of the crew, who declared to a man, that they would not act against petticoats, much less fire a shot at Moggy Salisbury.

What a mountain of mischief can be heaped up by the insidious tongue of one woman!

After this explanation, it may be supposed that the zeal of the party despatched was not very great.  The fact is, they were all sulky, from the major downwards, among the military, and from Vanslyperken downwards, among the naval portion of the detachment.  Nancy Corbett, satisfied with having effected her object, had crossed over the night before, and joined her companions in the cave, and what was extremely fortunate, on the same night Sir Robert Barclay came over in the lugger, and finding how matters stood, immediately hoisted both the boats up on the rocks, and taking up all the men, prepared with his followers for a vigorous resistance, naturally to be expected from those whose lives depended upon the issue of the conflict.

Next morning the cutter was seen coming down with the boats in tow, hardly stemming the flood, from the lightness of the breeze, when Nancy Corbett requested to speak with Sir Robert Barclay.  She stated to him what she had done, and the dissatisfaction among the troops and seamen in consequence, and submitted to him the propriety of all the smugglers being dressed as women, as it would operate more in their favour than if they had fifty more men to defend the cave.  Sir Robert perceived the good sense of this suggestion, and consulted with Ramsay, who strongly urged the suggestion being acted upon.  The men were summoned, and the affair explained to them, and the consequence was, that there was a scene of mirth and laughter, which ended with every man being fitted with woman’s attire.  The only one who remained in the dress of a man was a woman, Wilhelmina Krause, but she was to remain in the cave with the other women, and take no part in the coming fray.