"Aye—and bite!" quoth I, aiming a futile blow at him with my shackled fists. "Give me one hand free and I'd choke the beastly soul out o' ye and heave your foul carcase to the fishes—"
Now at this he swore a great oath and whipped pistol from belt, but as he did so Resolution stepped betwixt us.
"Put up, Belvedere, put up!" said he in soothing tone. "No shooting, stabbing nor maiming till she gives the word, Captain—"
"Curse her for a—" Resolution's long arm shot out and his knotted fingers plunged and buried themselves in Belvedere's bull-throat, choking the word on his lips.
"Belay, Captain! Avast, Belvedere! I am one as knew her when she was innocent child, so easy all's the word, Belvedere." Having said which, Resolution relaxed his grip and Belvedere staggered back, gasping, and with murder glaring in his eyes. But the left hand of Resolution Day was hidden in his great side pocket whose suspicious bulge betrayed the weapon there, perceiving which Belvedere, speaking no word, turned and swaggered away.
Now seating himself upon the gun beside me, Resolution drew forth from that same pocket his small Bible that fell open on his knee at an oft-studied chapter.
"Now regarding the point o' view, friend," quoth he, "touching upon the death o' the evil-doers, of the blood of a righteous man's enemies—hearken now to the words o' Davy."
CHAPTER XIII
HOW WE FOUGHT AN ENGLISH SHIP
For the days immediately following I saw nothing of Joanna but learned from
Resolution and Diccon that her sickness had increased upon her.