Part 45 (1/2)

”Whistle up the boat. The men would know your signal.”

”Yes?”

”Load her up till the water's above the streak, and let her drop down with the stream. I noticed that it ran pretty fast. Land the men at the mouth; leave them to signal for the schooner to come within reach-- they could do that with the lantern, or a bit of fire on the sh.o.r.e, if they didn't hear the captain's pipe--and while they are doing that, four men with oars row back as hard as ever they could go, to fetch another boat-load.”

”Boat-load?” said Poole. ”Why, it would take about four journeys, if not more.”

”Very likely,” said Fitz. ”But there would be hours to do it in.”

”And what then?”

”Get everybody on board the schooner and make sail for the north. Get into Velova Bay, and you could take the town with ease.”

”And what about the gunboat?” said Poole.

”Ah! That's the awkward point in my plan. But the gunboat is not obliged to be there, and even if she were you could take the town if you managed to get there in the dark; and once you've got the town you could hold it, even if she knocked the fort to pieces.”

”Hum!” grunted the carpenter.

”It'd be a tight fit getting everybody here on board our schooner.”

”Nonsense!” said Fitz. ”I could get a hundred men on board easily; and besides, we should all be saved.”

”And besides, we should all be saved,” said Poole, half aloud. ”Yes, that's true. It does seem possible, after all, for there would be no defenders hardly left at Velova, and we could fit up a defence of some kind to keep off the enemy when they found we had gone and old Villarayo came raging back; and that wouldn't be for another two days. Yes, there's something in it, if we could dodge the gunboat again.”

”Humph!” grunted the carpenter once more. ”No; there's a hole in your saucepan, and all the soup is tumbling out. The enemy is bound to have some fellows on the watch, and likely enough not a hundred yards from here, and they would soon find out that we were evacuating the place, come and take us at a disadvantage, and perhaps shoot the poor fellows crowded up in the boat. Oh no, my lad; it won't do at all.”

”Humph!” grunted the carpenter again.

”Don't you be in such a hurry, Mr Son-of-the-skipper,” said Fitz. ”I'd thought of that, and I should keep the enemy from coming on.”

”How?” said Poole, rather excitedly now.

”Light three or four watch-fires--quite little ones--and put up a stick or two amongst the bushes with blankets on them and the Spaniards'

sombrero hats. They'd look at a distance like men keeping the fire, and we could make these fires so that they would glow till daylight and go on smoking then; and as long as smoke was rising from these fires, I believe not one of the enemy would come near until the reinforcements arrived. And by that time, if all went well, we should be off Velova Bay.”

”Humph!” grunted the carpenter again.

”It won't do, Burnett,” said Poole; ”it's too risky. There's nothing in it.”

”Humph!” grunted the carpenter once more.

”And hark at that! You've set old Chips off snoring with your plot.”

”That he aren't!” growled the carpenter. ”I've heared every precious word. It's fine, Mr Poole, sir--fine! There's only one thing wanted to put it right, and that's them Sallies sitting round the fire. I wouldn't have Sallies. I'd have guys. I could knock you up half-a-dozen with crossed bamboos, each on 'em looking like tatter-doolies looking after crows with a gun. I says the plan would do.”

”And so do I, carpenter,” said the skipper, in his quick short tones as he stepped out from among the trees, making the three start to their feet.

”And I, my friend,” cried Don Ramon excitedly catching the middy by the hand.