Jenkins nodded, but said: "He broke his parole before."
"So would you under the same provocation. Forsythe called him a milk-fed thief. Wouldn't you have struck out?"
Jenkins nodded again, and Sampson continued:
"All right. My proposition is to place Mr. Denman under parole once more, to give him and the lady the run of the deck abaft the galley hatch, and to leave them both the possession of their guns for self-defense, in case"—he looked humorously around at the others—"these inebriates get drunk again."
"But the other guns. He has them somewhere. We want power of self-defense, too."
"Mr. Denman," said Sampson, turning to the prisoner, "you've heard the conditions. Will you tell us where the arms are, and will you keep aft of the galley hatch, you and the lady?"
"I will," answered Denman, "on condition that you all, and particularly your navigator, keep forward of the galley hatch."
"We'll do that, sir; except, of course, in case of working or fighting ship. Now, tell us where the guns are, and we'll release you."
"Haven't we something to say about this?" inquired Forsythe, while a few others grumbled their disapproval of the plan.
"No; you have not," answered Jenkins, his hoarse whisper becoming a voice. "Not a one of you. Sampson and I will be responsible for this."