"We're willing to give you our word as to that," Phil said promptly.
"I'd rather have better proof," the Britisher replied sharply; and in a very few seconds we convinced him of our defenceless condition.
While we were thus being overhauled, I asked myself bitterly how it chanced that we had been such idiots as to leave camp without so much as a knife between us; but could find no satisfactory answer to the question.
When he was convinced that we were really without weapons, Benson laid the musket carefully down at his feet and drew a huge clasp-knife, which he opened.
"Stand around here!" he commanded sharply, and, as a matter of course, we did as we were bidden.
Then the fellow drew from his pocket a small coil of ratline-stuff with which he proceeded to tie my left arm to Phil's right one in such a manner that we could not get at the knots with our free hands.
Now we were entirely in his power and he proceeded to get such satisfaction as was possible out of the capture.
"Look at me!" he said sharply. "Did you count that there wouldn't be a day of reckoning when you left me in jail?"
"We never thought anything about it," I replied, my anger causing me to appear bold. "You deserved punishment, and should be behind the bars this very moment."