"No, you wouldn't, my boy. You couldn't do it in cold blood, even although they are bad men."
"I don't know that," said Corrie, dubiously. "I would do it without more feeling than I would have in killing a cat."
"Did you ever kill a cat?" asked Montague.
"Never," answered Corrie.
"Then how can you tell what your feelings would be if you were to attempt to do it. I remember once, when I was a boy, going out to hunt cats."
"O Captain Montague! surely you never hunted cats," exclaimed Alice, who came out of the tent with a very pale face, and uncommonly red eyes.
"Yes, indeed, I did once; but I never did it again. I caught one, a kitten, and set off with a number of boys to kill it; but as we went along it began to play with my necktie, and to purr. Our hearts were softened, so we let it go. Ah, Corrie, my boy, never go hunting cats!" said Montague, earnestly.
"Did I say I was going to?" replied Corrie indignantly.
Montague laughed, and so did Alice, at the fierce look the boy put on.
"Come," said the former, "I'm sure that you would not kill a pirate in cold blood any more than you would kill a kitten—would you?"