He was sure they must have come armed, and feared a volley as soon as his own discharge indicated his whereabouts.
As a matter of fact, they had come divided as to the truth of the report that there was a man on L'Etat--even then as to him being the man they sought.

In any case, they had expected to take him unawares, and never dreamt of his being armed and on the watch for them.
Thanks to Nance, he had turned the tables on them.

It was they who were taken unawares.
But if he spoke again, he said to himself, they would be ready for him, and their answers would probably take the rude form of bullets.

So he lay still and waited.
There was a growling disputation in the boat.

Then one spoke-- "See then, you, Gard! We will haff you yet, now we know where you are.
If it takes effery man and effery boat in Sark, we will haff you, now we know where you are.