“Now, this is just the way the thing stands,” continued the sailor. “You’re too far from Bellville to give us up to the cutter, like you did them other fellers, and we ain’t likely to let you turn about and go there either. We’re going to Havana; and if you will take us there without any foolishness, we’ll be the peaceablest fellers you ever saw. We’ll obey orders, help manage the yacht, live off your grub, and behave ourselves like gentlemen; but if you try to get to windward of us in any way, we’ll pitch the last one of you overboard. Mebbe you don’t know it, but we are going to ship aboard a Cuban privateer. We can make more that way than we can in Uncle Sam’s service—prize-money, you know.”
“I know all about it,” replied Walter. “I heard it from your captain.”
“Well, what do you say?”
“I say, that I will agree to your terms, seeing that I can’t help myself. If I could, I might give you a different answer.”
“You’re sensible. I know you don’t want us here, but as we can’t get out and walk to Cuba, I’m thinking you will have to put up with our company till we find that privateer.”
“O, I didn’t agree to any such arrangement,” replied Walter, quickly. “I said I would take you to Havana, and so I will; but I am not going all around Robin Hood’s barn looking for a Cuban privateer, for I should never find her. There’s no such thing in existence. Besides, we’ve got business of our own to attend to.”
“I don’t care about your business,” said the sailor, who did not know whether to smile or get angry at Walter’s plain speech. “You’ll go just where we tell you to go. Don’t rile us, or you’ll find us a desperate lot.”
“I don’t intend to rile you, and neither am I going to be imposed upon any longer than I can help.”
Walter turned on his heel and walked aft, and Perk, taking his cue from the captain’s actions, resumed his duties as lookout, paying no more attention to the two sailors than if they had been some of the rope-yarns attached to the rigging. In a few hurried words, Walter explained the state of affairs to Eugene, whom he found almost bursting with impatience to learn the particulars of the interview on the forecastle, and then looking into the cabin, saw Chase and his companions stretched out on the lockers, wide awake, but afraid to rise for fear of the weapons which the two sailors who were guarding them held over their heads. Walter had been led to believe, by what the sailor said to him, that there were at least eight deserters on board the yacht. Had he known that there were but half that number, he might not have been so ready to accede to their leader’s demands.