"Nay, but you ain't far off, Mr Burnett. What I was wishing for was one of them barge-loads of neatly-cut timber as you see piled upon the Mersey, run right up this 'ere little river ready for all our chaps to unload. My word! Talk about a fortification! Why, I'd make a sixtification of it with them timbers, and so quickly that to-morrow when the enemy come they should find all our Spaniels sitting behind the little loop-holes like a row of monkeys cracking nuts, a-laughing and chaffing the enemy, and telling of them to come on." "Oh, bother!" said Poole. "Don't talk so much. It's enough to tempt the enemy to sneak up and begin potting at us. I know what I should like to do." And he relapsed into silence. "Well, what?" said Fitz, when he was tired of waiting. "Get all the men together and make a sally." "A what?" said the carpenter. "What for? Blest if ever I heard of such a dodge as that before. What'd be the good of a she-male at a time like this? I could make a guy, sir, if that would suit you." "Will you hold your tongue, you chattering old glue-pot!" "All right, sir! Go it! Stick it on thick! Glue-pot, eh? What will you call me next? But what would be the good of a Sally?" "Sally! To issue forth all together, stupid, and surprise the enemy in their camp." "Oh! Well, I suppose they would be surprised to have us drop upon them all at once; but if they heard us coming we should be surprised. No, sir; let them come to us, for they're about ten to one. We are safest where we are." "Yes; Chips is right," said Fitz. "It would be very dangerous unless we could get them on the run. I wouldn't do that." "What would you do, then?" said Poole. "Well," said Fitz, "you told me I was not a player, and that it was your game." "Yes, but that was before you began peppering the beggars with that double gun." "Now, that's too bad," cried Fitz petulantly. "There, I've done now." "No, you haven't. You have got something on your mind, and if it's a dodge to help us all out of this mess, you are not the fellow to keep it back. So come; out with it." "Well, I'll tell you what I've been thinking," said Fitz, "almost ever since I heard what that Mr Miguel said about the reinforcements coming from Velova." "What, to crush us up?" said Poole. "Enough to make any one think! But what about it?" "Why, the fort and earthworks will be emptied and all the fighting men on the way to-morrow to come and fight us here." "Of course, and they'll be here some time to-morrow afternoon, and if they don't beat us they will be going back with sore heads; but I am afraid that those of us who are left will be going back as prisoners. Is that what you meant?"