"Captain, we do not mind humouring your whims to a certain extent, but we are not going to put our necks in the noose to please you."
"It is quite useless for you to attempt to dissuade me from my purpose. I have made up my mind," said Carew doggedly.
Baptiste at once abandoned his threatening tone, and spoke in a respectful manner. "You have been very lucky so far; but don't be rash. Remember that luck assists him who assists himself. Consider how recklessly imprudent it would be to leave these men on the island. They would soon signal to a passing vessel, and be taken off; and pray, what then would our poor heads be worth?"
"Vessels constantly sight Trinidad," replied Carew, "but they never pass very near it. For the other side of the island is fringed with dangerous rocks far out to sea, as the chart will show you; and, since the prevailing wind hereabouts is south-east, a ship would give this side also a wide berth, for fear of being becalmed under the lee of the mountains. How could the men signal to a vessel miles out at sea?"
"Necessity finds a How. What is to prevent them from lighting a large fire?"
"We will not leave them the means of lighting a fire."
"They would soon discover the means. Suppose, for instance, they picked up some empty bottle that had been washed on shore, they could use the bottom of it as a burning-glass. I have heard of such a thing being done."
"I will not argue the question with you. Those men shall be landed on that island; they shall not die on board this vessel."
"Even if I agreed to run so great a risk, I know that the other two would not. You do not want a civil war on board, do you, captain?"