“Of course not,” said Nancy Blackett; “it’s much more fun being sea-dogs and timber shiverers. I propose an alliance.”
“I don’t see why not,” said Captain John.
“My idea,” said Nancy Blackett, “is an alliance against all enemies, especially Uncle Jim—Captain Flint, I mean. But we want the sort of alliance that will let us fight each other if we want to.”
“That’s not an alliance,” said Titty, “that’s a treaty, a treaty of offence and defence. There are lots in the history book.”
“Yes,” said Nancy Blackett, “defence against our enemies and all sorts of desperate battles between ourselves whenever we want.”
“Right,” said Captain John.
“Have you got a bit of paper and a pencil?” asked Nancy.
“I have,” said Titty, and ran into the mate’s tent and brought out a leaf from her log and a pencil.
Nancy took it and wrote:—
“I, Captain John of the ship Swallow , and I, Captain Nancy of the ship Amazon , do hereby make a treaty of offence and defence on behalf of our ships and our ships’ companies. Signed and sealed at this place of Wild Cat Island in the month of August 1929 .”
She passed the paper to the others.
“It looks all right,” said Captain John.
“It ought to be ‘this month,’ not ‘the,’ ” said Titty. “And you haven’t put in the lat. and long. They always put them in all over the place.”