But he had not much time to think; for in a few minutes they came upon Ole Thorwald and his party.
"Follow me quietly," said Gascoyne.

"Keep in single file and close together; for if we are separated here, we shall not easily get together again." Leading them over the same ground that he had formerly traversed, Gascoyne conducted his party to the shores of the bay where the Foam lay at anchor.

Here he made them keep close in the bushes, with directions to be ready to act the instant he should call on them to do so.
"But it would comfort me mightily, Mister Gascoyne," said Thorwald, in a somewhat troubled voice, "if you would give some instructions or advice as to what I am to do in the event of your plans miscarrying.

I care naught for a fair fight in open field; but I do confess to a dislike of being brought to the condition of _not knowing what to do._" "It won't matter much what you do, Mr.Thorwald," said Gascoyne, gravely.

"If my plans miscarry, you will be killed every soul of you.
You'll not have the ghost of a chance of escaping." Ole opened his eyes uncommonly wide at this.
"Well," said he, at length, with a sigh of resignation, "it's some comfort to know that one can only be killed once." Gascoyne now proceeded leisurely to strip off his shirt, thereby displaying a chest, back, and arms in which the muscles were developed to an extent that might have made Hercules himself envious.