“And he too jumps upon the rail just as Bill did, and, without waitin’ a second, launches himself overboard a’ter him.
“It was now my turn. I’d been thinking matters over in my mind whilst all this was going on; and I’ll confess I found it hard to make up my mind to die. ‘Whilst there’s life there’s hope,’ thinks I; ‘and it can but come to a launch over the side at last, if the worst comes to the worst;’ so when they asked me what I intended to do, says I. ‘Tell me, first of all, what’s become of the skipper?’ says I.
“‘He’s below in his bunk,’ says the Yankee, ‘and the mate with him, and there they’re welcome to stay so long as they don’t interfere with us,’ says he, ‘and I’ll take good care they don’t,’ says he. ‘But what’s that to do with you?’
“‘Well,’ says I, ‘I likes the skipper; he’s been a good friend to me, and I couldn’t be content to see harm come to him. If you’ll promise to shove him ashore all safe,’ says I, ‘I don’t mind taking a hand in your little game.’
“‘Very sensible indeed,’ says the Yankee; ‘you’ve a darned sight better notions in your head than they two stupid cusses as has just gone over the side with nothin’ to ballast ’em but their—honesty,’ says he; ‘and as for the skipper—make your mind easy. We’ve no grudge agin him; all we wants is the ship; and now we’ve got her, we means to put the skipper and the mate both ashore somewheres where they can be snug and comfortable like together, but where there’ll be no chance of our hearin’ anything more from ’em for the rest of their lives.’
“And that’s the way it was all settled,” continued the man. “I made up my mind I’d never do no pirating if I could help it; and I thought maybe if I stuck to the craft, I might be able to help the skipper a bit somehow, and if ever I got a chance, why, I’d make a clean run for it, and I reckoned I should find a way to do that the first port we touched at.
“Well, as soon as matters was arranged, the Yankee takes the command, and makes the Greek chief-mate; the watches was divided, the course altered, and away we goes to the east’ard, on the starboard tack, with a taut bowline and everything set as would draw, from the skysails down. One hand is told off from each watch to keep a look-out in the cabin; and the steward has his orders to do everything he could for the poor skipper. He had a hard time of it, poor man, for when he was getting better, and the truth couldn’t any longer be kept from him, the mate told him what had happened, and the news took him so completely aback that he got as bad as ever again, and the wonder is that he didn’t slip his cables altogether. However, he managed to hold on to ’em, and at last the fever left him; but he was that weak he hadn’t strength to turn over in his berth without help.
“All this time we were going to the east’ard, or about east-south-east, with everything set that the spars would bear. At last, about a month or maybe five weeks after the mutiny—I didn’t keep much account of the time—we fetches up, all standing, one dark night, upon a coral reef, before we knowed where we was. There warn’t much sea on, and we happened to touch where there was nearly water enough to float us; so we bumped and thumped gradually right over the reef into deep water—at least about ten fathoms—on t’other side. The well was sounded, and we found five feet of water in the hold; so, as there was land of some sort close aboard of us, the Yankee rams her straight on to it to save her from sinking under us.
“When daylight broke, we found ourselves on the sandy beach of a small island, with reefs all round us; but a space of about a quarter to half a mile of clear water everywhere between the reefs and the island.
“The cargo was roused out, and the ship examined, as well as it could be done, to learn the extent of the damage, for the Yankee talked about careening her to repair her bottom; but we soon found that the job was too much for us. So we stayed on the island about a week, fitting out the launch and the pinnace; and when all was ready, and everything stowed in the boats that it was thought we should want, we made sail to the nor’ard and east’ard; not, however, until the rest of the boats had been destroyed, and the skipper and mate made all snug and comfortable like in a tent ashore.”