If you are too hotly chased to escape, after landing them, you had best also disembark; and make your way back by land, as best you can, leaving them to do what they will with the boat.

As like as not they would cut your throats, did they take you; and if not, would want to know whom you had landed, and other matters.
"I do not want to lose the craft, which has done me good service in her time, and is a handy little coaster; but I would rather lose it, than that you should fall into the hands of the Bordeaux boats and get into trouble.

The fact that you made for shore, to land passengers, would be sufficient to show that those passengers were of some importance.
"Now, good luck to you, Master Philip.

I trust to see you back here again, before long." They kept straight out from La Rochelle to the Isle of Oleron, and held along close to its shore, lest boats coming out from the Charente might overhaul them.

From the southern end of the island, it was only a run of some eight miles into the mouth of the Seudre.
A brisk wind had blown, and they made the forty miles' voyage in seven hours.