“You see, gentlemen, we say it seems foolishness to come all this way to find what you wants, and then let these black warmint scare us off; when we arn’t scared a bit, are we, mates?”
“No,” came in a roar.
“So that’s about all, gentlemen. We like the place and we’re very comfor’ble, and if it’s all the same to you, we’d like to stop and go fishing and shooting and storing; and—and—and—that’s all, arn’t it, mates?”
“Hooray! Well done, Billy,” shouted the man who had tried to be funny before.
“Thank you, my lads,” said Sir John, “and I hope you will have to run no more risks.”
“Don’t you say that, sir,” cried Lenny; “we likes a bit o’ fun sometimes; it’s like pickles and hot sauce to our reg’lar meat.”
“Ay, ay, mate, that’s so,” cried another, and there was another cheer, followed by the joking man stepping out before his companions to say quite seriously—
“And some on us, sir, think as you might hoist the British colours atop o’ the mountain, and when we go back for you to go and give the island to the Queen.”
“We’ll think about all that,” said Sir John. “Then my son and I understand that you are quite willing to stay in spite of the risk?”
“O’ course, sir,” said Lenny. “We’ll go with you anywheres; won’t we, mates?”