"That is what I mean to say. We boarded their vessel and pulled down her flag——"
"I tell you I don't believe any such stuff," shouted James, who was more surprised the longer the story went on. "You will never get your hands on that flag."
"Go down and see. That is all you have got to do."
"I will wager that Captain Moore laid some of you fellows out. Was that he standing on the rail waving his hat to us?"
"No, it could not have been Captain Moore. He is dead."
"What!" James almost stammered. "Did one of you men dare to draw a weapon on him?"
"Yes, they did. He had weapons in his own hand——"
"Of course he did. He was defending his vessel."
"And we wanted to take it and we were stronger than he was."
"If some of you don't get your necks stretched before long I shall miss my guess," said James, walking up and down the path like a boy who had been bereft of his senses. "You have committed piracy, every one of you."