raff that Ken's Island could send against
us. Out on the shimmering sea I counted twelve boats with my own eyes,
and knew that every one of them was full of cut-throats. In the half of
an hour or sooner that devil's crew would knock at our gate and demand
to come in. Whatever way we answered them, however clever we might be,
was it reason to suppose that we could hold the rock against such odds,
hold it until help came when help was so distant? I say that it was
not. By all the chances, by every right reason, we should have been cut
down where we stood, and our bodies swimming in the sea before the sun
shone again on Ken's Island and its mysteries. And if this truth was
present in my mind, how should it be absent from the minds of the
others? Brave faces they showed me, bright words they spoke; but I knew
what these concealed. We stood together for a woman's sake; we knew
what the price might be and made no complaint of it.

"We are over few, Peter," said I, "but over few is better than many
when the heart is right. Just you drink up that grog and put yourself
where there is not so much of your precious body in the moonlight. It
will be Dolly's place at the gun, and mine to help him. There is this
in my mind, Peter, that we've no right to shoot fellow-creatures unless
they call upon us so to do. When the gig comes up I'll give them a fair
challenge before the volley's fired. After that it's up and at them,
for Miss Ruth's sake. You will not forget, Peter, that if we can hold
this place until help comes, belike we'll carry Miss Ruth to Europe and
shut down this devil's den forever. If that's not work good enough to
put heart into a man, I don't know what is. Aye, my lads," said I to
them all, "tell yourselves that you are here and acting for the sake of
one who did you many a kindness in the old time; and mind you shoot
straight," says I, "and don't go wasting honest lead when there's
carrion waiting for it."

They answered "Aye, aye!" and Dolly, leaping up to the gun, began to
give his orders just for all the world as though he skippered the ship
and I was but a passenger.

"We'll put Regnarte in front," says he, "so that we can keep an eye on
him. Let Peter hail them from where he's standing now; the rock covers
him, captain, and the shield will take care of you and me. And oh?"
says he, "I do wish it would begin--for my fingers are just itching!"

"Let them itch, lad, let them itch," was my answer; "here's the gig