"My sympathies with your deplorable misfortune," remarked Oki.
"An' me, too," added Hokosuka.
"Thanks," replied Fielding, briefly; then after a pause he continued, "What are these rascals going to do with us, I wonder?"
"Pirate hold us to ransom for sum of one million yen," said the Japanese, as calmly as an Englishman would announce how much an ounce he paid for his tobacco. "I pay not—Hokosuka he pay not—Mukyima he pay not."
"I suppose this rascal Cervillo will try and squeeze a tidy sum out of our relations on our account," said the sub., turning to Cardyke. "He'll be very much mistaken concerning me, for I doubt whether my people could raise ten thousand, and even then I feel sure they wouldn't on principle."
"Same here," agreed the mid. "But the question is: Are we to stick here without making an effort to break ship?"
"What do you suggest?" asked Fielding, with a slight tinge of asperity. "Swim a few hundred miles to the nearest land?"
"No; but if we could manage to get out of this dog-hole we might seize a part of the ship and hold our own."
"Till starved out, eh? And for what purpose?"
"It seems to me that if we could reach the chart-room, or the conning-tower, we could properly play the dickens with the villains."