“My lads,” said Sir Robert to the crew of the cutter, “I am very glad that you made no resistance to a force which you could not resist, as I should have been sorry if one of you had lost his life; but you must now go down below and leave the cutter’s deck in our possession.  Perhaps it would be better if some of you took one of your boats and went on shore to pick up your messmates who are wounded.”

“If you please, sir, we will,” said Coble, coming forward, “and the cutter is yours, as far as we are concerned.  We will make no attempts to retake her, at all events, for your kindness in thinking of our poor fellows lying there on the beach.  I think you will promise that, my lads,” continued Coble, turning to the men.

“Yes, we promise that,” said the men.

Coble then took the crew with him and pulled on shore to the cove, on the margin of which they found all their men lying either killed or wounded.  Dick Short, Spurey, and nine others were taken on board:  those that were quite dead were left upon the sand.  Leaving only ten men on board the cutter, which, however, was sufficient to cope with the few of the Yungfrau remaining on board, had they been inclined to forfeit their word, Sir Robert and Ramsay then returned with the rest of the party to-the boats, and pulled on shore, for the rest of their assailants were not subdued; about twenty of the soldiers still remained unhurt and were sitting down on the rocks.

Ramsay, as soon as he landed, showed a white handkerchief on a bayonet fixed to the muzzle of a musket.

“Sergeant Tanner,” said one of the men, “there’s a flag of truce.”

“Is there?  I’m not sorry for it,—­they are two to one even now.  I’ll go forward to meet it.”

The sergeant advanced to meet Ramsay.

“We might, if we pleased, oblige you to surrender or cut you to pieces—­that you must own; but we have no wish to hurt you—­there are too many good men dead already.”

“That’s true,” replied the sergeant, “but it’s one comfort you have turned out at last to be men and not women.”

“We have; but to the terms.  You were sent to take possession of the cave,—­you shall have possession as soon as we are gone, if you will draw off your party higher up this cliff and allow us to embark without molestation.  If you do not immediately accept these terms, we shall certainly attack you, or you may do better if you please—­pile your muskets, collect your wounded men, bring them down to the beach all ready to put into the boats, which, as soon as we are safe, we will give you possession of—­now is it a truce or not?—­you must be immediate.”

“Yes, then, it is a truce, for I see no chance of better terms.  I am commanding officer, and you have the faith of Sergeant Tanner.”

The sergeant then returned, and when half way, called to his men: 

“Party fall in—­pile arms.”  The soldiers, worn out by the long conflict, and aware that they had no chance against such superior numbers, gladly obeyed, and were now divided in sections of three and four, collecting the wounded and carrying them down to the cove.