“Yes, father agreed that he would come round as he has done this day, and would contrive to chaffer and bargain with him and keep him so late in the bay that the king’s ship should come upon him all of a sudden and take him, and this was father’s intention, only you have pinned him. The king’s ship will be round that point in two hours or thereabouts, so if you are found here you will be taken and hanged as sure as I ain’t hanged yet. Now ain’t this important news, and worth all I asked for it?”
“It certainly is, if it is true, boy.”
“Oh, I’ll prove it, for I always goes with father, and he trusts me with every thing. I saw the paper signed. The king’s ship is called the Vestal, and the captain who signed the paper, signed it Philip Musgrave.”
“Indeed,” said I, turning away, for I did not wish the boy to perceive my emotion at this announcement. I recovered myself as soon as I could, and said to him, “Boy, I will keep my promise. Do you stay below, and I will go on deck and plead for your life.”
“Mayn’t I go on deck for a bit?” said he.
“What, to wish your father good-bye? No, no, you had better spare yourself and him that painful meeting.”
“No, I don’t want to wish him good-bye; I’ll wait till it’s over, only I never did see a man hanged, and I have a curiosity to have just a peep.”
“Out, you little monster,” cried I, running up on deck, for the information I had received was too important not to be immediately taken advantage of.
“Well, captain, has the boy saved his father’s life?”
“No,” replied I, in a loud voice.