human
I suspect after all we shall find that we were unnecessarily alarmed, and they will prove very honest gentlemen,
gpt
I trust they may be, said Ada.
human
It would be very dreadful to have to fight.
gpt
I'm afraid there's little honesty either on board the craft or the boat; for I trust little to the Austrian bunting flying at her peak, answered Bowse.
human
You must not be frightened, young lady, when you see the men armed. It is safe to be prepared--Mr Timmins, get the cutlasses and small arms on deck, and send the people to their quarters--Colonel Gauntlett, I will speak with you, if you please; and the master led the colonel aside.
gpt
I have to propose a bold plan, and a dangerous one, should it not succeed; but if it does, I think our safety is secured. The pirate--for pirate the commander of that brig is, I am assured--will, I suspect, through audacity or fool-hardiness, venture on our deck; now, what I propose, if he does, is to entice the rest of the people on board, and to seize them and their boat, and to hold them as hostages.
human
But suppose they should prove to be really Austrians, urged the colonel.
gpt
It would be an odd way of treating officers who come to pay a friendly visit; and, seeing there are ten men in the boat, it will not be quite so easy either.
human
No fear of that, sir, answered Bowse;
gpt
Well, he answered,
human
I do not dislike your plan on the whole, provided we are sure the fellows intend us treachery. What part am I to play in it?
gpt
Why, sir, I want you to hold the chief man of them in conversation, while I talk to another; for I intend to let only two at a time come on deck--and then, if we can get them below, we can secure them, and, before the rest find it out, we will invite two more below, and secure them. I want you to offer a reason for our carrying so much sail yesterday and last night, to throw them off their guard, and to make them suppose we still believe them Austrians.
human
But what am I to say about the way we carried sail?
gpt
Why, sir, you see, we did not go out of our course, so you can say that you are in a very great hurry, and insisted on my making more sail, while, as the ship is bran new, I was not afraid of pleasing you, particularly as you promised a good round sum more if I got you in before a certain time.
human
The story is plausible, but I am afraid it will not bear looking into, observed the colonel;
gpt
We will not give them time to look into that or anything else, replied Bowse.
human
They will observe the loss of caboose and boats, and also of our bulwarks, it is true; but we must settle them before they have time to consult about it; or we may point it out to them at once, and tell them that it happened at the end of the gale, and that it would have made us shorten sail if the wind had not dropped.