more of these dark objects came from
under the fall and apparently from behind it, and stood upright in the
shallow water.

There were now seven in all. They moved in a group towards the shore.
Each of them had two legs, and each was muffled from top to toe in a
single loose garment with baggy legs; they walked somewhat like a
company of bears. They stood on the dry ground, and one of them
proceeded to take off the loose garment with which he was muffled, while
the others assisted him with evident deference.

First came off a close hood which covered his head, cheeks, and neck. As
the watchers by the wall saw his head, they held their breath in
terror, and Aunt Amanda clutched Freddie's arm. Around the head was a
tight-fitting kerchief, knotted behind; in his ears were great round
ear-rings; and gripped between his teeth was a long pointed knife.

Aunt Amanda gave a sign as if she was about to scream, but Toby quickly
put his hand over her mouth.

As the man with the ear-rings got himself out of the legs of his loose
garment, the party by the wall saw that he was a short and burly man, of
a ferocious aspect. In a sash which he wore was stuck on one side a
cutlass, and on the other a long pistol. He wore no coat, and his shirt
was open at the throat. His arms showed from the elbows down, and they
were thick with muscles. His trousers were knee breeches, buckled just
below the knee, and he was very bow-legged; his calves were big and
knotted.

When his outer covering had been removed, it was plain that he was
perfectly dry from head to foot, except for water on his face and hands;
and while the others were taking off their coverings, he withdrew with
one hand the knife from between his teeth, and with the other hand wiped
the water from his eyes and face. He then stuck the knife in his sash,
waved his hands somewhat daintily in the air as if to dry them, took
from his breeches pocket a large white handkerchief, completed with this
handkerchief the drying of his face and hands, examined his finger-nails
carefully, blew on them, and proceeded to polish them delicately with
his pocket-handkerchief, at the same time swearing two dreadful oaths,
in a low tone of voice, at the six men who were struggling with their
coverings. When these had been removed, the six appeared in much the
same style of dress as the first, and each bore a cutlass and a pistol;
but their clothing was much ruder than his, and they had no ear-rings