«Or not, as the case maybe,» said Blood quietly. It was to be remarked that he had lost his diffidence by now.
«Or not? What the devil do you mean with your 'or not'?» Easterling came to his feet in a vehemence that Peter Blood believed assumed, as the proper note at this stage of the comedy he was playing.
«I mean or not, quite simply.» He accounted that the time had come to compel the buccaneers to show their hand. «If we fail to agree terms, why, that's the end of the matter.»
«Oho! The end of the matter, eh? Stab me, but it may prove the beginning of it.»
Blood smiled up into his face, and cool as ice he commented: «That's what I was supposing. But the beginning of what, if you please, Captain Easterling?»
«Indeed, indeed, Captain!» cried Joinville. «What can you mean?»
«Mean?» Captain Easterling glared at the Frenchman. He appeared to be extremely angry. «Mean?» he repeated. «Look you, Mossoo, this fellow here, this Blood, this doctor, this escaped convict, made believe that he would enter into articles with us so as to get from me the secret of Morgan's treasure. Now that he's got it, he makes difficulties about the articles. He no longer wants to join us, it seems. He proposes to withdraw. It'll be plain to you why he proposes to withdraw, Mossoo Joinville; just as it'll be plain to you why I can't permit it.»
«Why, here's paltry invention!» sneered Blood. «What do I know of his secret beyond his tale of a treasure buried somewhere.»
«Not somewhere. You know where. For I've been fool enough to tell you.»
Blood actually laughed, and by his laughter scared his companions, to whom the danger of their situation was now clear enough.