"Ah, you may laugh, sir. But you can't expect a common sailor like me, who's a bit handy with his hammer and saw, to be up to all the dodges of an educated young gent like you as has sarved his time aboard the _Bry-tannia_ in Dartmouth Harbour. But of course there's a `what then' to all I said. I shouldn't want to dress myself up like a play-hactor in a penny show, with a red pocket-hankerchy tied to a mop-stick, big boots, and a petticut instead of trowges, pretending he's a black pirate, with a blood-red flag, one of your penny plain and twopence coloured kind, you know. I did lots of them when I was a young 'un, and had a box of paints. Not me. There's a `what then' to all this 'ere, a sting to it, same as there is in a wopse's tail." "Let's have it then," said Fitz. "I want to hear what you'd do when Don Cousin there shakes hands with you and says, `You're the very man I've been waiting for all through this voyage.'" "Yes, sir; that's it. You've got it to rights. That's just what he says, only it'd be in his Spanish liquorice lingo; and then the very first time I takes my trick at the wheel I looks out for one of them ugly sharp-pinted rocks like a fang just sticking out of the water, runs the gunboat right a-top of it, makes a big hole in her bottom; down she goes, great gun and all, and there you are. Now, Mr Poole, sir, what have you got to say to that?" "Nothing," said Poole. "It's too big for me. When do you mean to start?" "Well, I haven't quite made up my mind as to that yet, sir," said Chips quietly. "There's the skipper's consent to get, and the painting to do; and then I aren't quite sure about that there red comforter. I am afraid it's in my old chest, the one that's at home, and I shouldn't look so Span'l-like without a bit of colour. But it's a good idea, isn't it, sir, although Mr Fitz don't seem to think much of it? What do you make of them now on board the gunboat?" "There's somebody on the bridge, and he's got a glass, and I saw the light flash off the lens just now." "Then they must be a-watching of us, sir, taking stock of the place. I shouldn't wonder if we had a visit from them soon after dark, to try and take us by surprise." "Well, they won't do that," said Poole. "We shall keep too good a watch; but I shouldn't wonder if they tried." The time glided by, and the sun began to sink, to disappear quite early to the watchers, shut in by high cliffs; and as soon as it was out of sight the boat was dragged up stream, well hidden behind the overhanging boughs that dipped their tips to the edge of the river, till the first bend had been passed, when the men took to their oars and pulled hard till the schooner was reached.