"A dozen or so at the house, the rest about the plantations and on
the road, to guard against surprise from Spanish Town or any of the
settlements."

"Will you help me loyally, if I can find some means of rescuing
Lucy?" I asked, for Cludde's attitude to me was so altered that I
was not without suspicion of his sincerity.

"With all my heart; but we can do nothing."

"At present I see no way," I sorrowfully admitted; "but help her we
must. Good heavens! Can we leave her at his mercy, and not make an
effort on her behalf? We may fail, but let us at least do what men
may do."

Then Cludde made me tell him what had happened to me. He fell
asleep before I had finished my story, but I lay for long hours
pondering this baffling problem, and wishing that I had Joe
Punchard and my messmates of the Dolphin instead of negroes, whom I
could scarce trust. 'Twas clear, as Cludde had said, that we were
no match for the ruffians whom Vetch had about him; in open fight
we should be worsted, and maybe hasten the very catastrophe I
dreaded. Even if we should attempt a surprise by night I could not
hope for success, for the least check would turn the negroes into a
pack of howling cowards. We could only succeed by a ruse, and
though I cudgelled my brains until all my thoughts were in a whirl
I could invent no plan which had the least promise.

And it was Wednesday night! If we had not rescued Mistress Lucy