myself, if Billy has not got much wits he has got ears, and we'll see
what we two together can find out. So I told Billy, and I got him to
come and stow himself away near where I knew the Frenchmen would soon
collect, and sure enough, sir, from what Billy heard, they have made up
their minds to try and take the ship. They caught Billy and me stealing
away, and from their looks they would have pitched us overboard if they
had dared, but we tried to seem innocent like, as if we didn't think any
harm, and they still fancy it's all right. Now if any of them saw me
going up to speak to the boatswain they might suspect that something was
wrong, and be on their guard. I've done right, I hope, sir?"

"Indeed you have, Bluff," said I, highly pleased at the intelligence and
forethought he had shown. It proved that his wits were sharpening at a
great rate, that in fact he had got the hay-seed out of his hair very
rapidly.

I agreed with him that it would not do to let any of the Frenchmen see
him talking to the boatswain, because, if they were really going to
rise, they might do so before preparations could be made to withstand
them. He might go at once to Mr Bryan or to one of the other officers,
or to Captain Collyer himself, but then I thought it more than probable
that they would not believe him, so I told him to run up and to tell the
boatswain that I wanted particularly to see him.

In a short time Mr Johnson's long nosed, ruddy visage appeared above my
hammock. I then told him, in a low voice, all I had heard from Toby.

"I should like to see them attempt it," he answered, laughing. "It's a
cock-and-bull story, depend on that, Mr Merry, but still you did very
right in sending for me. It's possible that I may report the
circumstance to the captain, as it's right that he should know the zeal
and intelligence exhibited by boys Bluff and Cuff, though, as I say,
there's nothing in it, depend on that."

Notwithstanding Mr Johnson's assertion I observed that he immediately
sent for boy Cuff to his cabin, and, as Toby afterwards told me,
interrogated him very closely as to what he had heard. Nothing,
however, was said to me on the subject, and I began to fancy that boys
Bluff and Cuff had been deceived, or were making a mountain out of a
molehill. This matter had not made me forget Macquoid's promised visit
to us. The next morning, when we were all awake, I asked Spellman how
he felt.

"Very jolly," he answered.