French fleet might by
chance have got ashore as he had done, and might also come here at any
moment--he saluted James, and said he must make his way onward as fast
as possible.

"Where are you going to, sir?" the late King of England asked. "You
will be better in the forts. They will not refuse you succour."

"Doubtless. Yet I must go on. I have to----"

As he spoke his eyes fell on the doorway of the inn, and, brave man
though he was, what he saw there appalled him.

Leaning against the doorpost, regarding him fixedly, were two French
sailors whom he had last seen on board the transport--two sailors who,
as he had leaped on board followed by his own men, had disputed his
entrance, had then been driven back to the larboard side of the ship,
and had hurled themselves into the shoalwater and so escaped.

What was there for him to do? In another moment it was
possible--certain--that they would denounce him, that he would be
seized by the half dozen soldiers standing or sitting about.

He had to make his plans quickly ere these men could speak--already he
could perceive they were about to do so; one touched the other with
his finger and called his attention to him, and looked with an
inquiring glance into his companion's eyes, as though asking if by any
possibility he could be mistaken? He had to act at once. But how?
Then in a moment an inspiration came.

With a cry he wrenched his sword from his sheath and rushed at them,
uttering exclamations that at least he hoped might confuse the others
round and also drown any words of those two men.

"Villains! _Laches!_ Deserters!" he cried, as he flew at them,
striking one with the flat of his sword and, with his elbows and body,
forcing the other into the passage behind. "Villains! You would desert
in the hour of need! Fly the ship, would you!" and other exclamations
in as harsh and loud a tone as possible.

And the ruse succeeded beyond even what he dared to hope. The two
sailors affrighted, perhaps not hearing his words, and only thinking
that the terrible English officer meant to slay them on land, as he
had almost succeeded in doing on their own deck, fled down the passage
roaring; while to add to the hubbub two large dogs, sitting by the
fire of a room opening out of that passage, dashed out barking and
yelping. A woman too came from the kitchen and screamed for help, and
meanwhile the soldiers who had been lounging about rushed in at the
front door. As for James