tomorrow they will make an attack on us and if it’s from the south they will know that we shall make an attack on them.”
“I don’t see how we are going to capture Amazon if they come here in her,” said Susan.
“This is the plan for that,” said Captain John. “If there’s a northerly wind, one of us takes Swallow out and hides her in the reeds where we were fishing. The other three hide on the island in ambush close to the harbour. The Amazons will sail into the harbour, and land and go to the camp. While they are at the camp, we shall take the Amazon , and they’ll be marooned, and we shall have won. That’s simple enough.”
“And if it’s a southerly wind,” said Titty.
“Then it’ll be more difficult, for then they’ll be expecting us, and they’ll probably have a good plan of their own.”
“I don’t see how we can surprise them,” said Susan.
“It’s more difficult,” said Captain John, “but we can do it. There’s just one thing that we can do that they think we can’t do. We can find Wild Cat Island in the dark, and bring our ship into harbour. They know about the marks, but they don’t know that we have made them into leading lights. So they’ll be sure that we shall make our attack early enough to get home by daylight. Well, we won’t. A cutting-out expedition by day would only fail. The pirates’ harbour may be within sight of their house.”
“Stronghold,” said Titty.
“There may be natives all over the place who would give the alarm. We must capture their ship while they are feasting ashore, or sleeping off their drunken orgies.”