After drilling the crew all one afternoon, Conyngham early in the evening went ashore, and repaired at once to the usual rendezvous. There he found the others awaiting him. All seemed to be in good humor.
“Ho, Captain Glumface,” cried Hodge, “sit down with us. I have some news that will give thee comfort.”
“Has it arrived?” asked Conyngham eagerly.
“Hear the man!” replied Hodge. “Look!”
He handed Conyngham a paper.
“It is one that just by luck I found in my possession. A blank commission, and I have dated it to cover your last cruise.”
“But this is a privateersman’s commission,” Conyngham said, looking up from his perusal of the paper. “I do not consider myself in that light.”
“I went on your bond,” replied Hodge.
“Yes, but it was not your money that paid for the outfitting; it was money belonging to the United Colonies of America, or borrowed on their account, and I am an officer in the regular navy, and that vessel sails under the flag.”
It looked dangerously like a quarrel. Hodge relapsed into silence and the elder Ross looked furtively from Mr. Carmichael to the captain, as if expecting the former to come to the rescue.