"I learned something, campaigning by the walls of Dantzig," replied James. Ferrier watched the growing of the hasty map with admiration. His own talents for organization and tactics had given this obscure landowner the position he held in the Prince's haphazard army, but the professional soldier was invaluable to him. He sat wondering how he could have got on without James. "See," said Logie, pushing the paper to him, "here lies the _Venture_ off Ferryden, at the south side of the river, and here is Inchbrayock Island. That English captain is a fool, or he would have landed some men there. You and I will land on it, Ferrier. And now," he went on, "the man is twice a fool, for, though he has taken the guns from the fort and put them on board one of the unrigged ships, he has left her beside the quay. This point that I have marked with a cross is where she is moored. It would be idle not to make use of such folly! Why, man, if we can carry through the work I have in my mind, we shall blow the _Venture_ out of the water! Three nights I have skulked round the harbour, and now I think that every close and every kennel that opens its mouth upon it is in my head. And the island is the key to everything." Logie's eyes shone in the dim room like the eyes of some animal watching in a cave. "We must get possession of the ship at the quay-side," continued he. "Then we will take a couple of the town guns and land them on Inchbrayock. A hundred men from Brechin should be sufficient." "It must be done at night," said the other. "At night," said James, getting up and putting his hands on the back of his chair. "And now, as soon as possible, we must go down to the harbour and look carefully at the position of everything." Ferrier stood up and stretched himself, as men so often will when they are turning over some unacknowledged intention. James took up the roll of paper, glanced at it and threw it down again. "I see it as though it had come by inspiration!" he cried. "I see that we have a blockhead to deal with, and when heaven sends such an advantage to His Highness, it is not you nor I, Ferrier, who will balk its design. You will not hang back?" He looked at his friend as though he were ready to spring at him. But Ferrier went on with his own train of thought. He was a slower man than Logie, but if he lacked his fire, he lacked none of his resolution. "You are right," he said. "A man is a fool who leaves what he has captured on the farther side of the river, who thinks, having taken his enemy's guns from a fort, that he can let it stand empty. He has done these follies because he knows that there are no troops in Montrose." "Ay, but there are troops in Brechin!" burst out James. "There are troops in Brechin," repeated Ferrier slowly, "and they must be got quietly into the town. I wish there were not eight miles of road between the two."