"Good."
"Do that," said Hunston, "and you consign me to a living death, worse than any tortures that savages could inflict." He remembered too well how he and Toro the Italian had been cast adrift from the "Flowery Land."
He had not forgotten the horrors of that cruise.
It was, in truth, as he said, ten times more horrible than death at their hands could be.
"My own opinion is," said the captain, "that his crime should be punished at once; such a crime should not be allowed to pass on board ship."
"What would you do?"
"Tie him up to a grating and give him four dozen lashes."
A wild storm of cheering greeted this proposal.
There was some feeble attempt at opposition upon the part of the Harkaway party, but this was overruled by the captain and crew.
"I'm not a cruel man, gentlemen," said the captain, "but I must side with the crew in this. Now, we'll give him every chance. I propose to let him off if there is a single voice raised in his favour."