“Phew!” whistled the officer, quite changing his manner. “Then pray who are you?”
“I’m Doctor Burnet’s son.”
“Oh, then of course that alters the case, my lad; but you see you were caught amongst the jackdaws, so you must not wonder that I wanted to wring your neck too.”
“Oh, it’s all right if you believe me,” said Vince; “only, after being prisoners so long, it seemed precious hard to be treated as prisoners when we expected to be free to get home.”
“Then this scoundrel took you both, and has brutally ill-used you ever since?”
Vince looked round sharply, found the captain’s piercing eyes fixed on his, and hesitated.
“Oh no,” he said; “he caught us, and wouldn’t let us go for fear we should tell where his stores of smuggled goods are, but he has behaved very well to us ever since.”
“Like a gentleman,” put in Mike.
“Indeed! Well, then we mustn’t be so hard on him. So then, young gentlemen, you two know where the smugglers’ depôt is?”
Vince nodded.