"Is there any one else who wishes to oppose me?" asked the young chief.
A suppressed murmur ran through the ranks of the pirates, but no one raised his voice distinctly.
Barthelemy now turned to Captain Rolls and, taking from his pocket a piece of paper and a pencil he said:
"Captain Rolls! I hope you will reach London with your ship in safety. It is true that you will return her to her owners empty, but that is no fault of yours, in proof of which I will give you the following certificate for your justification at home.
We, free knights of fortune, bear witness in the presence of all whom it concerns, that Rolls, captain of the brigantine Neptune, was attacked by us on the Pacific Ocean, and, having just lost his guns and part of his rigging in a gale, defended himself against us in the bravest manner for an hour and a half, and did not yield until, after losing nine of our best men and our captain, we completely overwhelmed him and thereby alone obtained the silver entrusted to his care.
Captain Robert Barthelemy.
"Add," said Rolls, "that you succeeded in securing the silver only through Scudamore's treachery."
"True," replied Barthelemy, adding the sentence.
"Gentlemen!" interposed Scudamore trembling, "what are you going to do with me?"
"Nothing," said Barthelemy. "We promised that we would not harm a hair of your head."