Then, as I sat looking about, I noticed that the door was very thick and strong, and that there were bars at the window in which the glass was set.
I might have noticed all this before, but it did not seem of any consequence till my father talked of the bars of silver and their value, and as I sat thinking, the place began to look quite romantic, and I thought what a strange affair it would be, and how exciting if robbers or smugglers were to come and attack it, and my father, and Sam, and the men from the mine to have to defend it, and there were to be a regular fight.
Once started thinking in that vein my mind grew busy, and I felt that if I were at the head of affairs I should arrange to have plenty of swords and pistols, and that made me think of old Sam and the cannon down the cliff garden.
I laughed at that, though, as being absurd, and began to think directly after that my father's sword and pistols that always used to hang over the chimney-piece in the little parlour were not there now.
"Why, I daresay he has brought them down here," I said to myself; and I looked round, half expecting to see them, but they were not visible, and I came to the conclusion that they must be in the cupboard in the corner.
My heart began to beat, and a curious feeling of excitement took possession of me, as my imagination had a big flight.

I began to see myself armed with a sword helping my father, who, being a captain, would be a splendid leader.
"But we ought to have plenty of swords and guns," I thought, and I determined when my father began to speak to me again, to propose that he should have a little armoury in the cupboard.
Then I began to think about old Jonas, and the possibility of his getting a lot of men and coming and making an attack.

There had been a rumour that he and his people had once, many years ago, had a fight with the king's men; but when Bob Chowne and I talked to him about it, Bigley fired up and said it was all nonsense.

But it occurred before he was born.
It had never occurred to me before that this was a strange declaration.
For how could it be all nonsense and yet have occurred before he was born?
It seemed now as if it was not all nonsense.
One thought brought up another, and I found myself thinking that, if I was helping my father defend the treasure of silver here in the store, and fighting bravely, as I felt sure I should, Bigley would be helping his father to make the attack, and I saw myself having a terrific cutlass combat with him somewhere out on the slope.

Then I should have had a great deal of training from my father, who was an accomplished swordsman, and I should disarm old Big and take him prisoner, and then when night came, for the sake of old school-days, I should unfasten his hands and let him escape.
My thoughts ran very freely, and I was fully determined to grind the sword that I had not seen, and which perhaps had not yet been made, as sharp as a razor.