"And shares in a lighthouse, eh, Dick?"
"Yes; split me! aint it at sea as well as a ship?"
"Then we understand one another. We'll hoist a signal and hand him over to the first king's-pennant that passes her, as run from the service, and we'll share the bringing-money between us, parting it fairly on the capstan-head, eh?"
"Besides, on conscience, you know, we can swear he fled from a king's ship."
"He'll get a tight flogging, anyhow."
"That's his business, eh, Bill?"
I remembered the poor little boy whom I had seen so cruelly mangled on board the tender, and my heart sank within me.
"We must keep a bright look-out, that this young gudgeon don't take a swim for it, and give us the slip as he did old Cranky."
"A swim! why, split me, if the great sea sarpent could swim through the shoals and shifting sands from here to Compton Kennel!"
"Well, he came to us uninvited, like a mermaid, and blow me if we won't have what he is worth out of him! Does the young whelp think we are to keep him in grub and grog, on nothing a day or midshipman's half-pay? No, no; Dick, give a look at the glims, and then we'll turn in for the night. The wind is rising; we'll have a tough squall before morning, and who knows but the devil may send something ashore upon the Ridge by that time; there were two craft in the offing at sunset."