He gave us a hearty word or two, since every man likes to know what's in the wind.
"There's a schooner behind yonder Indiaman, my lads, and it's as likely as not she's been captured.

If so we'll do our best to get her back, for old England's sake, and our own, and just to spite the Frenchman.

If the schooner should prove the _Red Hand_, and that's as like as not, for he's the pluckiest man they have, you know what it means.

It'll be hard fighting and no quarter.

But he's worth taking.