“Well, perhaps it would be best, Hawkins; and, as you say, by keeping them hid all day I don’t see that they could increase our difficulties.  But then, you see, you will want all your hands here; for if the brigantine sails, whether by night or day, you are to sail too, and to keep close to her wherever she goes.  It is not likely that Carthew and Miss Greendale will be on board, but he may very well send orders down to the brigantine to get up the anchor.  He would know that we should stick to her, as Miss Greendale might have been taken on board again at night.  In that way he would get rid of us from here, and would calculate that we should get tired of following the brigantine in time, or that she would be able to give us the slip, and would then make for some place where he could join her again.  So my orders to you will be to stick to her, but not to interfere with her in any way, unless, by any chance, you should discover that Miss Greendale is really on board.  In that case I authorise you to board and capture her.  They won’t have the blacks on board, and as the wounded are going on all right, and three of them, anyhow, will be able to lend a hand in a couple of days, you will be a match for them; especially as they will soon make up their minds that you don’t mean to attack them, and you will get a chance of running alongside and taking them by surprise.”

“Well, sir, I think that we can do that with four hands less than we have now.  You see, there are nineteen and the two mates and myself.  Say two of the wounded won’t be able to lend a hand, that makes us twenty, to say nothing of Jake and Pedro.  So, even if you took four hands, we should be pretty even in numbers; and if our men could not each whip two Belgians, they had better give up the sea.”

“Yes, I have no doubt that they could do that, and were it not for Carthew and his friend I would not hesitate to take eight men.  I don’t know about the other, but you may be sure that Carthew will fight hard.  He is playing a desperate game.  Still, I think that I might take four, especially as I think the chance of Miss Greendale’s being brought on board, until he believes that we have left these waters, is very small.

“Very well, then, that is settled.  The five blacks, Lechmere and myself, and four of the sailors, will make a strong party.  Serve muskets and cutlasses out to the blacks; and the same, with a brace of pistols, to each of the hands that go with us.  While we are away let two of the men dress up in my white duck shirts and jackets, and in white straw hats.  Let them always keep aft, and sit about in the deck chairs, and always go down below by the main companion.  That will make them think that I am still on board; while if there is no one on the deck aft they will soon guess that we have landed.

“You understand all that we have been saying, Dominique?”

“Me understand, sar, and tink him bery good plan.  Me suah to find out which way dat rascal hab gone.  Plenty of black fellows glad to earn two dollar to guide us.  Dey no money here.  Two dollars big sum to them.”