"If the captain were out of the way, and you took his place, as lawful representative of your uncle, the men would do your bidding, wouldn't they, Benet?" said Rodrigues in a friendly tone.
"No doubt," says I; "but I will not have any hand in this business if violence is to be done to Sir Harry."
"Then what do you propose we should do?" asks he.
"He lies ashore to-night: why shouldn't we sail without him?"
"That's better than ever!" cries Parsons, turning round. "Leave him here to send a king's ship after us. A plaguey good notion, that," and he burst out into a horse-laugh.
"That won't do, Ben," says Rodrigues; "as Ned says, we should have a man-of-war sent after us, and so have to fight English as well as Spaniards. I think I can offer something better than that"; and drawing me aside that Parsons might not hear, he dropped his voice and said: "Supposing, when we are out at sea, we tell the captain our determination to go roving, and ask him to join us?"
"He will refuse: that's certain."
"Very well; then let us give him one of the ships and let him go with as many of the men as choose to join him. What say you to that?"
I agreed to this readily; for it seemed a better way out of the mess than any I had imagined.
"Good," says he; "so shall it be. Now, leave me alone with Parsons. He is a self-willed, headstrong fellow; but I know how to manage him, and I promise you I will make him hear reason."