About a week after the occurrence of the events recorded in the last chapter, Captain Flint and his crew were again assembled in the cavern. It was past midnight, and they evidently had business of importance before them, for although the table was spread as upon the former occasion, the liquors appeared as yet to be untasted, and instead of being seated around the table, the whole party were sitting on skins in a remote corner of the cavern, and conversing in a suppressed tone of voice as if fearful of being heard. "Something must be done," said one of the men, "to quiet this darn suspicion, or it's all up with us." "I am for leaving at once," said Old Ropes; "the only safety for us now is in giving our friends the slip, and the sooner we are out of these waters the better it will be for us." "What, and leave the grand prize expecting to take care of itself?" asked the captain. "Darn the prize," said Old Ropes, "the East Indiaman ain't expected this two weeks yet, and if the suspicions agin us keep on increasin' as they have for the last ten days, the land pirates'll have us all strung up afore the vessel arrives." This opinion was shared by the majority of the men. Even the Parson who took delight in opposing Old Ropes in almost every thing, agreed with him here. "Whether or not," said he, "I am afraid to face death in a fair business-like way, you all know, but as sure as I'm a genuine parson, I'd rather be tortured to death by a band of savage Indians, than to be strung up to a post with my feet dangling in the air to please a set of gaping fools." "Things do look rather squally on shore, I admit," said the captain, "but I've hit upon a plan to remedy all that, and one that will make us pass for honest men, if not saints, long enough to enable us to finish the little job we have on hand." "What is that?" enquired a number of voices. "Why, merely to make a few captures while we are lying quietly in the harbour or a little way up the river. That'll turn the attention of the people from us in another direction, in the mean while, we can bide our time. "It can," said the captain. "We must man a whale boat or two and attack some one of the small trading vessels that are coming in every day. She must be run on the rocks where she may be examined afterwards, so that any one may see that she has falling in the hands of pirates. None of the crew must be allowed to escape, as that would expose the trick. "All this must take place while I am known to be on shore, and the schooner lying in port." This plot, which was worthy the invention of a fiend, was approved by all but Jones Bradley who declared that he would have nothing to do with it. For which disobedience of orders he would have probably been put to death had he been at sea. The plan of operations having been decided upon, the whole party seated themselves round the table for the purpose as they would say of making a night of it.