however, to _you_, but
to Mr. Mason--after I have rescued the party, so that I am not likely to
claim any consideration from you on account of the obligation which you
seem to think my present act will lay you under. But you must not
accompany me just now."

"Why not?"

"Because your presence may be required here. You and Mr. Mason will
remain where you are to guard the girls, until I return. All that I have
to ask is, that you be in readiness to follow me at a moment's notice
when the time comes."

"Of course what you arrange _must_ be agreed to," said Montague.

"Come, Corrie, I will require your assistance. Follow me," said the
pirate captain, as he turned and strode rapidly away.

Corrie was now thoroughly convinced of the good intentions of Gascoyne;
so he followed him without hesitation. Indeed, now that he had an
opportunity of seeing a little more of his gigantic companion, he began
to feel a strange kind of pity and liking for him, but he shuddered and
felt repelled when he thought of the human blood in which his hands must
have been imbrued; for as yet he had not heard of the defense of himself
which Gascoyne had made in the widow's cottage. But he had not much time
to think; for in a few minutes they came upon Ole Thorwald and his
party.

"Follow me quietly," said Gascoyne. "Keep in single file and close
together; for if we are separated here, we shall not easily get
together again."

Leading them over the same ground that he had formerly traversed,
Gascoyne conducted his party to the shores of the bay where the Foam lay
at anchor. Here he made them keep close in the bushes, with directions
to be ready to act the instant he should call on them to do so.

"But it would comfort me mightily, Mister Gascoyne," said Thorwald, in a
somewhat troubled voice, "if you would give some instructions or advice
as to what I am to do in the event of your plans miscarrying. I care
naught for a fair fight in open field; but I do confess to a dislike of
being brought to the condition of _not knowing what to do._"

"It won't matter much what you do, Mr. Thorwald," said Gascoyne,
gravely. "If my plans miscarry, you will be killed every soul of you.
You'll not have the ghost of a chance of escaping."

Ole opened his eyes uncommonly wide at this.

"Well," said he, at length, with a sigh of resignation, "it's some
comfort to know that one can only be killed once."

Gascoyne now proceeded leisurely to strip off his shi