Drawing his knife he put it between his teeth, and creeping noiselessly towards the object in question, laid his strong hand on the neck of the horrified Will Corrie.
That adventurous and desperate little hero having lain sleepless and miserable at the feet of Alice until the squall blew the tent over their heads, got up and assisted Montague to erect it anew in a more sheltered position, after which, saying that he meant to take a midnight ramble on the shore to cool his fevered brow, he made straight for the sea, stepped knee-deep into the raging surf, and bared his breast to the furious blast.
This cooled him so effectually that he took to running along shore in order to warm himself.

Then it occurred to him that the night was particularly favorable for a sly peep at the pirates.

Without a moment's hesitation, he walked and stumbled towards the high part of the island, at which he arrived just half an hour before Gascoyne reached it.

He had seen nothing, however, and was on the point of advancing still further in his explorations, when he was discovered as we have seen.
Gascoyne instantly turned the boy over on his back, and nipped a tremendous yell in the bud by grasping his wind-pipe.
"Why, Corrie!" exclaimed Gascoyne, in surprise, at the same time loosening his grip, though still holding the boy down.
"Ah! you villain, you rascally pirate.

_I_ know you; I--" The pipe was gently squeezed at this point, and the sentence abruptly cut short.
"Come, boy, you must not speak so loud.