“Will you help us carry them out?”
“I don’t see how I can avoid it,” replied Frank.
“I don’t either,” said Waters. “We’re the gentlest fellows in the world when you stroke us easy; but when you go against us, we’re a bad lot to have about. We’ll make you captain of the vessel, and our little man here,” he added, pointing to Archie, “we’ll put in for mate. He mustn’t live off our grub for nothing, you know, and we can’t use him in any other way. Will he do?”
“Yes, he’ll do,” said Frank. “But now I want you to understand one thing before we go any further: I don’t claim to be a seaman, and if we are blown out of our course or crippled in any way, you mustn’t blame me for it.”
“Never mind that,” said Waters, quickly. “I know all about you. I know that you were master of a whaler, and that you commanded a Yankee gunboat during the war; so there must be something of the sailor about you. If you will do as well as you can, that’s all I ask, and me and you won’t have no words. Nobody shan’t bother you. You shall do just as you please. The rest of the men can sleep in the forecastle, and us five fellows that’s here now will mess in the cabin, and live like gentlemen.”
“How much of a crew have I?” asked Frank.
“There’s just an even dozen of us on board. There will be ten to do the work.”
“You will be surprised to learn one thing, Frank,” said Archie. “There are four of our own men aboard, and three of them came of their own free will, too. More than that, they helped Fowler and Waters carry out their plan of seizing the vessel.”
“Who are they?” exclaimed Frank.
Archie called over the names of the men, and Frank, astonished beyond measure to learn that any of the Stranger’s crew could be so disloyal, dropped into the nearest chair without speaking. “I suppose you offered them a share of the money you expect to find in the safe, didn’t you?” said he, at length, addressing himself to Fowler.