You had better therefore borrow from the artillerymen one of their
wooden levers, and get a stout pole two or three inches across,
and cut half a dozen two foot lengths from it to put under her
as rollers. Get also a plank of four inches wide from one of the
deserted houses in the village behind us, and cut out two paddles;
we may find oars on board, but it is as well to be prepared in case
the owner should have removed them."
"Shall I take my weapons, sir?"
"We can take our dirks in our belts, sergeant, and lash our swords
to the wooden lever, but I do not think we shall have any fighting.
The night will be dark, and the Spaniards, believing that we have
no boats, will not keep a very strict watch. The worst part of the
business is the swim across the river, the water will be bitterly
cold; but as you and I have often swum Scotch burns when they were
swollen by the melting snow I think that we may well manage to get
across this sluggish stream."
"At what time will we be starting, sir?"
"Be here at the edge of the river at six o'clock, sergeant. I can
get away at that time without exciting comment, and we will say
nothing about it unless we succeed."
Thinking it over, however, it occurred to Malcolm that by this
means a day would be lost -- and he knew how anxious the king was
to press forward. He therefore abandoned his idea of keeping his
discovery secret, and going to his colonel reported that he had
found a boat, and could bring it across from the other side by
seven o'clock.
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