that island to shave himself, so that while most of his fellows bore
bristling beards, and my own chin was as raspy as a hedgehog, he might
have presented himself at the Court of St. James's, so spruce was his
appearance.

When all was ready Lancelot drew up his men very soldierly and made them
a little speech. He bade them bear in mind that the men who were about
to attack us were not merely our own enemies, but the King's; and not
merely the King's enemies, but Heaven's, because, being pirates, they
sinned against the laws of Heaven as well as the laws of earth. He bade
them be sure that they need look for no mercy from such fellows, and
that therefore it behoved every man of them to fight his best, both for
his own sake and for the sake of his companions; but also he conjured
them, if the victory went with them, not to forget that even those
pirates were made in God's image, albeit vilely perverted, and that it
was our duty as Christians and as soldiers to show them more mercy than
they would deal out to us. He ended by reminding them that they were
Englishmen, and that a portion of England's honour and glory depended
upon the way in which they carried themselves that day. To all of which
they listened attentively, every man standing steady as if on parade.

When Lancelot had quite finished he pulled off his hat and swung it in
the air, calling upon them to huzza for the King.

Then there went up from our band such a cheer as did my heart good. The
island rang for the first time in its life to the huzzaing with which
those stout fellows greeted the name of the King. Again and yet again
their voices shook the silence with that manly music, and I, while I
shouted as loud as the rest of them, glowed with pride to think that
courage and loyalty were the same all the world over. Nothing has ever
made me prouder than the courage of that knot of men about to engage in
a doubtful conflict in a nameless place with a gang of devils, and
gallantly cheering for their King before beginning it.

Those men in scarlet must have heard that cheer and been not a little
amazed by it. I dare say that by this time Cornelys Jensen had seen us
through his spy-glass. If so, how he must have cursed at our readiness
and at the sight of our stockade!

It was decided by Lancelot that the first thing to do was to prevent the
pirates from landing. If they succeeded by untoward chance in effecting
a landing, then all of us who were lucky enough