"Thrue for you; an' so it is," said Terry. "An' so, ef ye've got anythin' on yer mind that ye want to do, why, out with it, for I'm your man." "Wal, ye see," resumed Zac, "it's this here; I don't want to go away out o' this jest yet." "Not go away! Tare an ages," cried Terry; "d'ye want to be a prisoner?" "Course not. I mean this: I don't want to go an' leave my friend here, Motier, in the hands of the Philistines." "Sure ye can't do anythin' for him; an' he's among his own kin--so he is; for he jabbers French ayqual to the best of thim." "No, I can't do anything for him as I am; that's a fact; and so I'm bound to put myself in a position whar I can do somethin'; that is, I'm bound to seize this here schewner, an' bring the old Parson back to the fold." "Arrah, sure, an' that's the right sort of talk--so it is; an' it's mesilf that's glad to hear ye. An' so, what is it, captain dear? Out with it. Tell me what yer plan is, an' I'm wid ye--so I am." "I think, Terry, that we can manage to get the schewner from these chaps--can't we?" "Sure we can. Sure, an' I'd ingage to do it alone, almost." "They don't watch much." "Not a bit of it." "The two that watch at night sleep half the time." "Sure, an' that's thrue for you, for I've seed thim at it whin I was asleep mesilf." "We can git Jericho to bar down the cabin door, Terry, an' then you an' I can seize the two on deck." "Aisy enough--so it is. They'll all be dead asleep--so they will." "Wal, thar we'll have them; an' then I hope to be able to bring a pressure on the natyves of these regions by which I may git my friend out of their clutches." "Sure, an' I don't onderstand ye at all, at all." "Why, I'll have these six Acadians prisoners, an' then I'll sail up off Grand Pré, an' threaten to cut the throats of all of them if they don't send off Motier to me in ten minutes." "Tare an' ages!" cried Terry. "Whoroo! but isn't that the plan? It is. It bates the wurruld--so it does. An whin'll ye begin, captain darlint?" "To-night," said Zac. CHAPTER XIII. A STROKE FOE LIBERTY. Zac and Terry talked for a long time over the plan, trying to chat in an off-hand and careless manner, so as not to excite any suspicion. No suspicion appeared to be raised among the Acadians, who took no notice of them whatever. So Zac and Terry had sufficient opportunity to arrange all the details of the plan, and it was decided that Terry should indicate to Jericho what was to be done by him. It was agreed that the best time would be about three o'clock in the morning; for then the Acadians below would all be in their soundest sleep, while those who kept watch on deck would probably, in accordance with their usual careless fashion, be sunk into a slumber no less sound. Terry at length left Zac, and moved about in a desultory fashion, after which he finally settled down among the Acadians, and began to sing to them the immortal strain of St. Patrick.