My pistol was still in my hand and she made a clutch at it, but I was too quick for her. I caught her by the wrist. The spell she had cast upon us by her sudden entrance, her beautiful presence, by her proud, brave demeanor was broken by that touch. The men laughed. God, the remembrance of that laugh makes my blood boil even now.
“I wish you joy of her,� said one.
“You’ll have a time tamin’ her,� cried a second.
“Ah, you think so,� I cried, determining to carry out the deception to the bitter end and to leave no chance for the least suspicion to arise. I seized her by the shoulders, secretly praying God to forgive me for what I was about to do, and shook her violently back and forth. It was easy enough. A baby in my hands would not have been more helpless. “Silence, you fools,� I cried as the men began to laugh again, and then to her, “You belong to me, woman. Do you hear? I’ve bought you. I am your master. Get back into your cabin. I will have speech with you later.� Helpless, amazed, petrified with terror, she could do nothing. I thrust her into the cabin, shut the door and faced the men. “Will you gentlemen leave me alone to tame this she devil for a little while, and I will be on deck presently,� I panted out.
“Very well,� said Pimball, “but before we goes—� he pointed to a heavy bottle in the rack, “I proposes that we drinks the health of the new navigator an’ his lady.�
“Right you are,� said I, making the best of that situation.
I reached for the glasses that were in the rack and poured out a stiff dram for each man and added mighty little water to it. The room was soon filled with mocking, jeering toasts to my health and happiness. I drank with them. I have ever believed that when you attempt a thing it is better to give your whole heart to it, or you had better not try at all, and I did not propose to spoil the game that had progressed successfully so far, by not joining in. So I drank with the others although I would rather have swallowed poison. They went out one by one, Pimball last.
“You’ll play fair with us, Mr. Hampdon,� he said earnestly and suspiciously, too, “or—�
“You will play fair with me, or—� I retorted.
“There’s my hand on it,� he interrupted and I took it, aye and shook it.