Besides, they 'll
not be left. There 's the _Reindeer_. There 's nothing to prevent them
from getting away on her, and they 'll never catch us in the dark."
"Come on, then." Though he had agreed, 'Frisco Kid did not quite like it,
for it still seemed to savor of desertion.
They crawled forward and began to hoist the mainsail. The anchor they
could slip, if necessary, and save the time of pulling it up. But at the
first rattle of the halyards on the sheaves a warning "Hist!" came to
them through the darkness, followed by a loudly whispered "Drop that!"
Glancing in the direction from which these sounds proceeded, they made
out a white face peering at them from over the rail of the other sloop.
"Aw, it 's only the _Reindeer's_ boy," 'Frisco Kid said. "Come on."
Again they were interrupted at the first rattling of the blocks.
"I say, you fellers, you 'd better let go them halyards pretty quick,
I 'm a-tellin' you, or I 'll give you what for!"
This threat being dramatically capped by the click of a cocking pistol,
'Frisco Kid obeyed and went grumblingly back to the cockpit. "Oh, there 's
plenty more chances to come," he whispered consolingly to Joe. "French Pete
was cute, was n't he? He thought you might be trying to make a break, and
put a guard on us."
Nothing came from the shore to indicate how the pirates were faring.
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