“I went round among the men half an hour ago, sir, and told them how the land lay, and Lechmere has been doing the same.  They all want to fight, but I have made them see that it might be a very awkward business for us all.”

The men in the boats were told to take it easy, and it was the best part of an hour before they saw, on turning the last bend, the brigantine lying at anchor a little more than a quarter of a mile away.

“She looks full of men,” Frank exclaimed, as turned his glasses upon her.

“Yes, sir,” said the captain, who was using a powerful telescope, “they are blacks.  There must be fifty of them beside the crew, and as far as I can see most of them are armed.”

“That explains why he came in here, Hawkins.  They have been using this place for the last three weeks, and no doubt have made good friends with the negroes.  I dare say Carthew has spent his money freely on them.

“Well, this settles it.  We would attack them at sea without hesitation, however many blacks there might be on board, but to do so now would be the height of folly.  Five of our men are certainly not fit for fighting, so that their strength in whites is nearly equal to ours.  They have got those two little cannon, which would probably reduce our number a bit before we got alongside, and with fifty blacks to help them it is very doubtful whether we should be able to take them by boarding.  Certainly we could not do so without very heavy loss.

“We will anchor about two hundred and fifty yards outside her.  As long as she lies quiet there we will leave her alone.  If she tries to make off we will board her at once.  Anchor with the kedge; that will hold her here.  Have a buoy on the cable and have it ready to slip at a moment’s notice, and the sails all ready to hoist.”

“Easy rowing,” the captain called to the men in the boats, “and come alongside.  We have plenty of way on her to take up a berth.”

In two or three minutes the anchor was dropped and the sails lowered.

“Now I will row across to her,” Frank said, “and tell them that I don’t want to attack them, but I am determined to search their craft.”

“No, Major,” George Lechmere said, firmly.  “We are not going to let you throw away your life, and you have no right to do it—­at any rate not until after Miss Greendale is rescued.  You may be sure of one thing:  that Carthew has left orders before going on shore that you are to be shot if you come within range.  He will know that if you are killed there will be an end of the trouble.  I will go myself, sir.”

Frank made no answer for a minute or two.  Then he said: 

“In that case you would be shot instead of me.  If Carthew is on shore, as I feel sure he is, the others won’t know you from me.  I agree with you that I cannot afford to risk my life just now, and yet we must search that brigantine.”