The rest of the crew laughed in chorus, till the boatswain sternly bade them give way.
“I doubt it,” he said in a low voice to me. “I should say that the captain will do a little more to make her less ship-shape, ready for the next lot.”
“But you don’t think there are any more pirates, do you?”
“More!” he said, looking at me in surprise. “Why, my lad, the coast swarms with them. We never hear a hundredth part of the attacks they make. It is not only European vessels they seize, but anything that comes in their way. It strikes me, Mr Herrick, that we have only just begun what may turn out a very successful cruise.”
Ten minutes later we were nearing the Teaser, and I saw the reason why we could not see either of the other boats. They were swinging to the davits, and we were therefore the last.
Just then Mr Reardon hailed us.
“How many men hurt?” he shouted between his hands.
“Only one, sir; Barr—coxswain.”
“Badly?”
“Oh no, sir,” shouted the sufferer. “Bit of a scrat on the back.”