Part 15 (1/2)
Over this he thought for the greater part of that night. Towards morning he called Terry, who was to watch for the remainder of the night, and proceeded to hold a council of war.
First of all he acquainted Terry with the general state of affairs.
Part of Margot's information had been overheard by him; but Terry, seeing how things were, had discreetly withdrawn aft, and kept up a loud whistle, so as to prevent himself from overhearing their words; so that now the greater part of this information was news to the Irish boy.
”And have ye thought of anythin' at all, at all?” he asked.
”Wal, I've thought over most everythin',” said Zac. ”You see, the state of the case is this: they've got one of us a prisoner ash.o.r.e over there, but we've got six of them a prisoner out here.”
”Thrue for you,” said Terry.
”Wal, now, you see, if this Cazeneau was here, he hates Motier so like pison that he'd sacrifice a hundred Frenchmen rayther'n let him go--an' in my 'pinion he's worth a hundred Frenchmen, an' more. But now, bein' as Cazeneau's goin' away to-morrer, we'll be in a position to deal with the people here that's a keepin' Motier; an' when it comes to them--why, they won't feel like losin' six of their men for the sake of one stranger.”
”I wonder,” said Terry, ”whether the owld boy that came out in the boat found out anythin'. 'Deed, if he'd had his wits about him, an'
eyes in his head, he'd have seen it all,--so he would.”
”Wal, we'll hev to let 'em know, right straight off.”
”To-morra'd be best.”
”Yes; an' then Cazeneau'll be off. I'd rayther wait till then; it'll be better for us to have him out of the way.”
”What'll ye do?”
”Wal, I'll sail up, and send word ash.o.r.e.”
”How'll you sind word? We can't spake a word of the lingo.”
”Wal, I ben a thinkin' it over, an' I've about come to the conclusion that the old Frenchman down thar in the cabin'll be the best one to send.”
”Sure, an' ye won't sind the Frenchman ash.o.r.e in yer own boat!”
”Why not?”
”He'll niver bring it back; so he won't.”
”Then we'll keep the other five Frenchmen.”
”Sure, an' it's a hard thing altogether, so it is, to hev to thrust him. He'll be after rousin' the country, an' they'll power down upon us in five hundred fis.h.i.+n' boats; so they will.”
”Wal, if I staid here to anchor, that might be dangerous,” said Zac; ”but I ain't got no idee of standin' still in one place for them to attack me.”
”Sure, an' it'll be best to let him see that if he don't come back wid Misther Motier, the whole five'll hev their brains blown out.”
”Sartin. He'll have to go with that in his mind; an' what's more, I'll make him swear an oath to come back.”
”Sure, an' it'll be the hard thing to do when neither of yez ondherstan' enough of one another's lingo to ax the time af day.”
”Wal, then I'll have to be satisfied with the other five Moosoos. If the first Moosoo runs for it, he'll leave the other five, an' I ain't goin' to b'lieve that the farmers here air goin' to let five of their own relatives and connections perish, rayther'n give up one stranger.”