I turned away, thinking the old man had given an idle answer to evade questions; but Jerry was not to be turned down so readily, and he said with a laugh: "We've given over the fishin' business for quite a spell, I reckon. 'Cordin' to my way of thinkin', an' seein's how this cruise may turn out to be anything rather than a picnic, I allow that all hands should know what is to be done." "That's my idee to a dot, lad, an' I'm tryin' to think up some kind of a plan so that when you fellows begin to figger, I can put in my oar with some show of sense." "But where do you reckon that we're bound for?" "Fishin', lad. Where else can we be bound?" I turned again, understanding now that the old man was serious, and asked him if he supposed we could do any spying on the British fleet while we were wasting time getting oysters or fish. "Didn't the commodore allow that we should keep right on bein' oystermen?" Darius asked with just a shade of impatience. "How do you expect we can sneak around the British fleet unless we've got some excuse for goin' there? It was in Joshua Barney's mind, the way I looked at it, that we might sell oysters to the fleet, which would account for our bein' among the vessels, an' to do that we've got to put in a cargo." It was plain enough, now that the old man had spoken of it, and I understood that we had a bit of dredging before us in order to make ready for the more important portion of the work. "But after we get a load, Darius? Shall we sail boldly down the bay, asking the Britishers to buy?" "That's what I've been tryin' to make out. All of you can figger it 'cordin' to your own idees, an' then we'll talk it over." Surely this was putting it fairly, and we tried to follow the old man's advice, or, at least I did; but without arriving at any satisfactory conclusion. The only plan I could put together was that we first get our wares and then blunder ahead trying to sell them, trusting to luck for the rest. We were a silent crew for some time, as each fellow tried to think up some brilliant scheme, and then, when midnight was nearly come, we had arrived off Benedict. "Why not go ashore for an hour?" Jerry suggested, and all of us gladly agreed, I in particular, because I wished to see my mother once more now there was no petulance in my heart on account of her willingness to have me go into danger. Darius had no relatives, or even very near friends, in the village, therefore he volunteered to keep ship, and Jim Freeman set us ashore in the canoe, taking two at a trip, after which each fellow went his way. My mother was overjoyed at seeing me so soon again, even though I aroused her from sleep to open the door, and asked so many questions that I could do no less than tell her all which had happened since I last saw her. She was frightened at learning what we were about to do, and showed it plainly; but never a word did she speak against the project.