“Ay! He’s tight enough!” cried the man, throwing a sturdy arm about the middy’s waist, and holding him back as he tried to get at Ram.
“No good to give orders here,” said the latter, grinning. “You’re only a king’s officer when you’re aboard your little bit of a cutter.”
“Will you let me out of this place?”
“If I let you go will you tell your skipper about what you’ve seen?”
“Yes,” cried Archy fiercely.
“Then what a dumble head you must be to think we’ll let you go. Won’t do, little officer; will it, Jemmy?”
“Do! Better chuck him off the cliff.”
“What!” cried the midshipman fiercely.
“Chuck you off the cliff. What do you mean by coming interfering here with honest men getting their living? We never did nothing to you.”
“You scoundrel!” cried Archy, “how dare you say that? You know you are breaking the laws by smuggling, and you are doing worse by kidnapping me.”