“Give up, then, and let Dinny come.”
“Did you ever know me give up?” growled Bart.
“’Tain’t that: it’s leaving the ship. Black Mazzard ar’n’t to be trusted.”
“What! Pish! he dare do nothing.”
“Not while you’re here, my lad. It’s when you’re gone that I feel scared.”
“You think—”
“I think he’s trying to get the men over to his side, and some on ’em hold with him.”
Jack remained thoughtful for a few minutes.
“It is only lightning, Bart. There’ll be no storm. We can get what we want done in six hours at the longest, and he can do nothing in that time—he will do nothing in that time if you put a couple of bottles of rum within his reach.”
Bart uttered a low, chuckling laugh.