“The tide’s coming in,” Ragul muttered in my ear. “The ankers float; the current will carry them ashore in a few minutes.”
That solved the problem of the ship’s anchorage—it didn’t need one. But how then was the payment made? I was about to ask when there was a sudden shout, and all hell broke loose below.
Ragul thrust his way at once through the gorse bushes, followed in short order by me and Young piratian. Little could be seen distinctly, but there was a considerable turmoil taking place on the sandy beach. Dark shapes were stumbling and rolling over the sand, to the accompaniment of shouting. I caught the words “Halt, in the King’s name!” and my blood froze.
“Excisemen!” Young piratian had caught it, too.
Ragul said something crude in Gaelic, then threw back his head and shouted hi
