"Dot's where he is smart, Bob. He makes it so we got to help him to safe our own skins, ja. Andt der little gal, too. For him and der Irisher dot drinks like a Lenape squaw I ain't got no use. But you andt der little gal—dot's different."
"Do you mean he intends to sacrifice all of us? And carry away the whole treasure for himself?"
"I don't know, Bob. Murray, he is a funny feller. Very funny! He likes you. He likes der little gal. Maybe he likes me—I don't know. Andt he is honest about dot oldt king dot lifs in Rome. But if any of us come in his way, he would push us aside. Dot's him now!"
The stern of the Royal James rose before us, and in one of the open windows my great-uncle's fine white head showed like a faded picture in a frame seen across a darkened room.
"Once before he planned too big," Peter whispered on. "Maybe this time Gott speaks loud to der tdefil andt stops him."
My great-uncle's voice floated down, quietly distinct.
"They are gone overlong. Gadzooks, chevalier, if they do not shortly return I'll slip my cable and take advantage of what remains of the flood to come at the Walrus and finish matters off-hand."
O'Donnell's reply was simply a querulous echo from the interior of the cabin.
"That sounds as though he had some use for us," I murmured to Peter, noiselessly treading water beside me.
"Ja. Use he has for us. Maybe he needs us when he gets rid of der James, eh? If der tdefil fails him, he can have use for honest men, Bob."