"I think not, indeed. Is your crew to be trusted?"
"In what sense?" asked the astonished captain.
"Will they keep mum about whatever takes place on board?"
"My men are absolutely to be trusted."
"Very well," said Louis Pierre, "I shall board the sloop at dusk and remain upon her until the gentleman and his servant arrive. You must have a sailor's dress ready for me, for I shall help run the sloop. You must be there also, Captain."
"Very well," said Soliviac.
"Are you ready to go all lengths?" asked Giacinto.
The captain's frank, genial countenance became clouded. Corsair as he was and accustomed to bloody adventures, he hesitated before the executive justice of the Knights of Liberty, for he knew their vengeance to be terrible. But raising his head, he said:
"All lengths."
"Captain," said Giacinto, "the man we track is worse than a wolf. He merits a thousand deaths and we shall give him only one. If you desert us, we shall consider that you cease to be a Knight. Nevertheless, we shall take the matter into our own hands and trust you not to betray us."