A fair field and no favor was his delight; but climbing the hills was his mortal aversion.

He was somewhat too corpulent and short of wind for that.
"Come, Gascoyne," said Henry; "you know more about the savages than anybody here; and if I remember rightly, you have told me that you are acquainted with most of the mountain passes." "With all of them, lad," interposed Gascoyne; "I know every pass and cavern on the island." "What, then, would you advise ?" asked Montague.
"If a British officer can put himself under a simple trading skipper," said Gascoyne, "I may perhaps show what ought to be done in this emergency." "I can co-operate with any one who proves himself worthy of confidence," retorted Montague, sharply.
"Well, then," continued the other, "it is vain to think of doing any good by a disorderly chase into mountains like these.

I would advise that our forces be divided into three.

One band under Mr.Thorwald should go round by the Goat's Pass, to which I will guide him, and cut off the retreat of the savages there; another party under my friend Henry Stuart should give chase in the direction in which little Alice seems to have been taken; and a third party, consisting of his Majesty's vessel the Talisman and crew; should proceed round to the north side of the island and bombard the native village." "The Goat's Pass," growled Thorwald, "sounds unpleasantly rugged and steep in the ears of a man of my weight and years, Mister Gascoyne.

But if there's no easier style of work to be done, I fancy I must be content with what falls to my lot." "And truly," added Montague, "methinks you might have assigned me a more useful, as well as more congenial occupation, than the bombardment of a mud village full of women and children; for I doubt not that every able-bodied man has left it, to go on this expedition." "You'll not find the Goat's Pass so bad as you think, good Thorwald," returned Gascoyne; "for I propose that the Talisman or her boats should convey you and your men to the foot of it, after which your course will be indeed rugged, but it will be short;--merely to scale the face of a precipice that would frighten a goat to think of, and then a plain descent into the valley, where, I doubt not, these villains will be found in force; and where, certainly, they will not look for the appearance of a stout generalissimo of half-savage troops.