Part 10 (1/2)
”Still we might beat them back,” one of the others said. ”We can muster about three hundred men between us, and they are not likely to land more than that.”
”I don't think that would be a good plan,” Captain Vipon said. ”To begin with, we can't tell which of the three places they may choose for landing at. We certainly cannot hurry through the woods anything like so fast as they can row along the sh.o.r.e, so that would place us at a disadvantage. In the second place, you know very well that we can't rely upon our men defeating an equal number of these John Bulls; and in the last place, we should not gain much if we did. We should lose a tremendous lot of our men, and the schooner would go off and fetch two or three more s.h.i.+ps of war here, so that in the end they must beat us. I think that there is no question that it will be better for us to take our chances of escape now.”
”Either the schooner will come back to-night and tow the boats of the frigate round the other side of the island, or she will send a boat with the news that she has found a landing-place, and then the frigate will send all her boats. I don't think the attack will take place to-night; but it may be made. It certainly won't if the schooner comes round, for the wind is very light. She will not leave her anchorage until it is quite dark; and by the time she has got round to the frigate, and the boat's crews are ready to start, and they all get to the back of the island, it will be morning. If they send a boat it would reach the frigate after three hours' rowing; give them an hour to get ready and start, and three hours to row back, so that brings it to nearly the same thing. Beside, I don't suppose in any case they would land before morning, for they would run the risk of losing their way in the woods. So my proposal is that at about two o'clock in the morning we make a start, separate as soon as we get out of the harbor, and each s.h.i.+ft for himself. The frigate will have more than half her crew away, and being so short-handed will not be so smart with her sails, and will not be able to work half her guns; so that at the outside two out of the three of us ought to get safely off.”
”But suppose that the schooner happens to be round here, and they make up their minds to wait a day before attacking, we should have two of them after us then; and that schooner sails like a witch.”
”I have thought of that,” Captain Vipon said. ”My idea is to put a man on the top of the cliff just above where the schooner is anch.o.r.ed. If she is lying there he is to light a fire a short distance back from the edge of the cliff. There should be another man on the top of the hill. When he sees the fire he shall show a lantern three times. We will return the signal to let him know that we see it. If the schooner goes away early in the evening the lookout is not to light the fire until he sees her returning, at whatever hour it may be. The moment we see the light we will set sail.'
”But how about the two signallers?” one of the other captains said.
”They would be left behind and might not get the chance of rejoining us again.”
”I have thought of that too,” Captain Vipon, said. ”I have an English lad on board whom I picked up in the channel. He is a smart lad, and has been working as one of the crew. He would of course be glad to stay behind, because it will give him the chance of rejoining his friends.”
”That would do capitally. But how about the other man? You see, if he showed himself he would be made prisoner and sent to England; if he didn't show himself he might be on this island for years before he got a chance of joining a French s.h.i.+p. It would need a high bribe to induce anybody to run such a risk as that.”
This was so evident that there was silence for two or three minutes, then Captain Vipon spoke again. ”I have a man who would be more likely to do it than any one else I think, because he has taken a strong fancy to this young English boy. He is a good hand, and I don't like losing him; still the thing is so important that I should not hesitate at that. Still we must offer him something good to run the risk, or rather the certainty of imprisonment. I propose that his name shall be put down on the books of all three s.h.i.+ps, so that if he ever gets back to France again he will have a fair certainty of a good lot of prize money, for it will be hard luck if two out of the three of us do not manage to get back safely.” The other captains agreed to this.
”He will be here in half an hour,” Captain Vipon said. ”The men were sitting down to a meal when I came away, and I ordered them to make their way back as soon as they had done. If he refuses, the only other way I can see will be for all the men to cast lots, when, of course, whoever stays would get his three shares as we agreed.”
Half an hour later the twenty men arrived from the other side of the island. As soon as they came on board Captain Vipon called Jacques into the cabin and told him that it would be necessary to leave two men behind, explaining the duties they would have to perform.
”Now Jacques,” he said when he had finished, ”I thought that perhaps you would be more likely than any other man on board the three s.h.i.+ps to volunteer for this work.”
”I volunteer!” Jacques said in astonishment. ”What should make you think of such a thing, captain?”
”For this reason, Jacques: I have settled to leave the English lad here as one of the signallers. Of course he will gladly undertake the job, as it will enable him to join his friends when they land; and as you like him and he likes you, he might be able to make things easy for you. In the second place we have determined that the name of whoever stops shall be borne on the s.h.i.+p books of all three vessels to the end of their cruise, so that there would be a good bit of money coming even if only one out of the three s.h.i.+ps gets back, and enough to set you up for life if all three get back safely. Of course you may have a spell of imprisonment; but it is likely that one at least of the s.h.i.+ps may be caught going out to-night, and if it happened to be ours you would get the prison without the prize-money.”
”That is so,” Jacques agreed. ”If you give me half an hour to think it over I will give you an answer. It's come upon me sudden-like. I will talk it over with the boy. I suppose I can tell him, captain?”
On regaining the deck Jacques looked about for Ralph.
”Come and sit along with me out on the bowsprit, lad, I want to have a private talk with you.”
Somewhat surprised Ralph followed his friend out on to the bowsprit.
”Now, boy,” he said, ”I have got a bit of news to tell you that will be pleasant to you. That's the first thing; and the next is, I want your advice. You are a sensible young chap, you are, although you are but a lad, and I should like to know what you think about it.”
”Well, what's the good news, Jacques?”
”The good news is this; you are likely, before this time to-morrow, to be with your friends.” Ralph gave such a start of delight that he nearly slipped off the bowsprit.
”How is that Jacques? It seems too good to be true.”
”This is the way of it,” Jacques said. ”The three vessels are all going to cut and run to-night. That schooner of yours is round the other side of the island, and we want to be sure she is stopping there, then there will only be the frigate to deal with, and in these light winds and dark nights we ought to be able to give her the slip; but the only way to be sure the schooner keeps the other side is to watch her. So one man is to be placed on the cliff above her, and at two o'clock in the morning, if she is still there, he is to light a fire well back from the cliff, so that the light will not be seen by her. Another man is to be on the top of the hill, where we were together with a lantern. You see, we can just see the top of the hill from here. When he sees the fire he is to show a light three times. If he sees it answered here he will know it's all right, and his work is done; if not, of course he shows the lights again until it's answered.
Now, they are going to leave you as one of the two signallers, and of course all you will have to do will be to wait for a bit, and then come down and join your friends.”
”That is capital,” Ralph said. ”Nothing could be better. Now, what is the other matter that you want my advice about, Jacques?”