Violet Jacob > Flemington

“THE HAPPY LAND” 69
“ I learned something, campaigning by the walls
of Dantzig,” replied James.
Perrier watched the growing of the hasty map
with admiration. His own talents for organiza¬
tion 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 Ferry den, 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, Perrier. 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 Inch-