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 ashore
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 ashore."

"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 ashore 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 fishin' 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