"But there is a way."
"What?"
"Keep him talking all night."
"I will try, and, Peggy, if worst comes to worst—"
"I know, and I trust you; but now hasten back."
So he left her.
When Huntoon returned to the table, Ingle poured him out a huge bumper of Madeira and another for himself, though his flushed cheeks and glazed eyes showed that he had little need of more. Then leaving his seat he went to the little locker at the end of the cabin, and drawing out two carefully preserved treasures set them down with a thump on the table.
"Do ye know what those are?"
"Drinking cups," said Huntoon, but he shuddered.
"Ay, drinking cups of a rare make. The last voyage but one of The Reformation we fell in with a ship and would have boarded her peaceably, as the crew were for letting us, but the captain and mate made a fight for it and cost me two of our best men. So angered was I by their obstinacy, I vowed if we won I'd have their skulls made into drinking cups, and here they are with the silver rims round 'em fashioned by a smith on board from a roll of silver on the ship. See, I'll take the captain, and you shall drink from the mate. Now give us a toast."