I felt pretty easy
about the schooner. She can only be attacked by boat, and I searched
the coast pretty narrowly on our way down without sighting one.
If these men possess a boat, she probably lies somewhere on the
eastern side, not far from their camp fire. If she lies nearer, it
must be somewhere under the cliffs to the south, in which case her
owners would have a long journey to reach her, and that journey must
take them around the head of the creek here. But (say you) there may
be two parties on the island--one by the camp fire northward, and
another under the south shore. I'll grant this, though I think it
unlikely; but, even so, to attack the schooner they must bring their
boat up the whole length of the entrance, where our people would have
her in view for at least two miles. This would give ample time for a
signal to recall us, and on the chance of it I left Goodfellow in
charge of two rockets with instructions to touch them off on a hint
of danger."
"Oh, oh!" said I. "So Mr. Goodfellow, too, knew of this?
And Plinny, I suppose? And, in fact, you told every one but me?"
"No, sir," said Captain Branscome, gravely; "I did not trouble Miss
Plinlimmon with these perhaps unnecessary fears.
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