“And who are you, sir, who dares to attack a peaceful merchant vessel on the high seas in this fashion?” demanded Captain Harding, without faltering, and still keeping his pistol levelled at the head of the other, who faced it with the utmost sangfroid, although he could perceive that the English sailor’s blood was up and his finger trembling on the trigger.
“One who dares anything and everything, and never embarks in any enterprise unless he has weighed the consequences and can carry it through to a successful termination!” replied the desperado, with an assumption of stern dignity that was in harmony with his stalwart form and reckless air. “But, come,” he continued, sinking his tone of bravado, and speaking in the same easy, polite manner which Charley had specially noticed when he addressed Tom and himself in the khan—a manner that showed a very considerably greater amount of breeding than could have been expected from a common seaman,—“you must see that you are powerless to resist us.”
“There are six of us,” interrupted Captain Harding, “and we can at all events make a fight for it!”
“To what purpose?” retorted the other. “You are six, truly; but two of your party are boys, and one a coward who wouldn’t be of much help”—glancing as he spoke from Tom and Charley, who stood beside the captain prepared to aid him to their last breath, upward to the mizzen-top, where the craven-faced Tompkins stood, looking down too much frightened to stir.
“Well, what then?” said the captain, impatiently. “Be quick with your palaver or I’ll fire.”
“You’ll do so at your peril,” retorted the other. “Captain Harding, you are a brave man, or I wouldn’t waste so many words on you or spare your life. You are powerless to resist us, as I said before, for you are but six in number, including your boys and that cur aloft; you have three other men down in the foc’s’le, but they cannot join you. We are fifty. Show yourselves, my lads,” he cried to his followers, who instantly ranged themselves, across the Muscadine four deep, exhibiting their full strength, which was even more than he had stated.
“You see!” said the pirate chief, complacently. “Look, and count them.”
“I see that we’re outnumbered by a gang of cut-throats,” said Captain Harding, bitterly.
“Gently, my friend,” said the other, suavely. “Some of my men understand English like myself, and might not relish your compliments, although, as a man of the world, I can make excuses for you—ah—want of tact; yes, that’s the word, is it not?”
“Cease your humbugging, sir, and come to the point,” said the captain, trying to curb his anger, which he could hardly control in the face of the pirate’s cynical impertinence. Had it not been for the sake of the boys by his side he would have let drive at the scoundrel at once, and risked his fate.