In the meantime the squire and the captain stayed on deck, and the latter
hailed the coxswain, who was the principal man aboard.

"Mr. Hands," he said, "here are two of us with a brace of pistols each.
If any one of you six make a signal of any description, that man's dead."

They were a good deal taken aback; and, after a little consultation, one
and all tumbled down the fore companion, thinking, no doubt, to take us
on the rear. But when they saw Redruth waiting for them in the sparred
gallery, they went about-ship at once, and a head popped out again on
deck.

"Down, dog!" cries the captain.

And the head popped back again; and we heard no more, for the time, of
these six very faint-hearted seamen.

By this time, tumbling things in as they came, we had the jolly-boat
loaded as much as we dared. Joyce and I got out through the stern-port,
and we made for shore again, as fast as oars could take us.

This second trip fairly aroused the watchers along shore. "Lillibullero"
was dropped again; and just before we lost sight of them behind the
little point, one of them whipped ashore and disappeared. I had half a
mind to change my plan and destroy their boats, but I feared that Silver
and the others might be close at hand, and all might very well be lost by
trying for too much.

We had soon touched land in the same place as before, and set to
provision the block-house. All three made the first journey, heavily
laden, and tossed our stores over the palisade. Then, leaving Joyce to
guard them--one man, to be sure, but with half a dozen muskets--Hunter
and I returned to the jolly-boat, and loaded ourselves once more. So we
proceeded without pausing to take breath, till the whole cargo was
bestowed, when the two servants took up their positions in the
block-house, and I, with all my power, sculled back to the _Hispaniola_.

That we should have risked a second boat-load seems more daring than it
really was. They had the advantage of numbers, of course, but we had the
advantage of arms. Not one of the men ashore had a musket, and before
they could get within range for pistol-shooting, we flattered ourselves
we should be able to give a good account of a half-dozen at least.

The squire was waiting for me at the stern window, all his faintness gone
from him. He caught the painter and made it fast, and we fell to loading
the boat for our very lives. Pork, powder, and biscuit was the cargo,
with only a musket and a cutlass ap