day I don't see that they could increase our
difficulties. But then, you see, you will want all your hands here;
for if the brigantine sails, whether by night or day, you are to
sail too, and to keep close to her wherever she goes. It is not
likely that Carthew and Miss Greendale will be on board, but he may
very well send orders down to the brigantine to get up the anchor.
He would know that we should stick to her, as Miss Greendale might
have been taken on board again at night. In that way he would get
rid of us from here, and would calculate that we should get tired
of following the brigantine in time, or that she would be able to
give us the slip, and would then make for some place where he could
join her again. So my orders to you will be to stick to her, but
not to interfere with her in any way, unless, by any chance, you
should discover that Miss Greendale is really on board. In that
case I authorise you to board and capture her. They won't have the
blacks on board, and as the wounded are going on all right, and
three of them, anyhow, will be able to lend a hand in a couple of
days, you will be a match for them; especially as they will soon
make up their minds that you don't mean to attack them, and you
will get a chance of running alongside and taking them by
surprise."

"Well, sir, I think that we can do that with four hands less than
we have now. You see, there are nineteen and the two mates and
myself. Say two of the wounded won't be able to lend a hand, that
makes us twenty, to say nothing of Jake and Pedro. So, even if you
took four hands, we should be pretty even in numbers; and if our
men could not each whip two Belgians, they had better give up the
sea."

"Yes, I have no doubt that they could do that, and were it not for
Carthew and his friend I would not hesitate to take eight men. I
don't know about the other, but you may be sure that Carthew will
fight hard. He is playing a desperate game. Still, I think that I
might take four, especially as I think the chance of Miss
Greendale's being brought on board, until he believes that we have
left these waters, is very small.

"Very well, then, that is settled. The five blacks, Lechmere and
myself, and four of the sailors, will make a strong party. Serve
muskets and cutlasses out to the blacks; and the same, with a brace
of pistols, to each of the hands that go with us. While we are away
let two of the men dress up in my white duck shirts and jackets,
a