“Yes, if they do not get into any more scrapes—that young scamp Gascoigne is as bad as Easy, and now they are together there’s no saying what may happen. I dine at the Governor’s to-day; how he will laugh when I tell him of this new way of fighting a duel!”
“Yes, sir, it is just the thing that will tickle old Tom.”
“We must find out if they have got off the island, Sawbridge, which may not be the case.”
But it was the case. Jack and Gascoigne had eaten a very good dinner, sent for the monkey to amuse them till it was dark, and there had waited till the padrone came to them.
“What shall we do with the pistols, Easy?”
“Take them with us, and load them before we go—we may want them: who knows but there may be a mutiny on board of the speronare?—I wish we had Mesty with us.”
They loaded the pistols, took a pair each and put them in their waists, concealed under their clothes—divided the ammunition between them, and soon afterwards the padrone came to tell them all was ready.
Whereupon Messrs Gascoigne and Easy paid their bill and rose to depart, but the padrone informed them that he should like to see the colour of their money before they went on board. Jack, very indignant at the insinuation that he had not sufficient cash, pulled out a handful of doubloons, and tossing two to the padrone, asked him if he was satisfied.
The padrone untied his sash, put in the money, and with many thanks and protestations of service, begged our young gentlemen to accompany him: they did so, and in a few minutes were clear of Nix Mangare stairs, and, passing close to his Majesty’s ship Harpy, were soon out of the harbour of Vallette.
Of all the varieties of vessels which float upon the wave, there is not, perhaps, one that bounds over the water so gracefully or so lightly as a speronare, or any one so picturesque and beautiful to the eye of those who watch its progress.