But this advice was overruled by Captain Flint himself, who declared he would trust no one, and that the young man should walk the plank as the others had done.
From this decision there was no appeal, and Henry Billings resigned himself to his fate.
Before going he said he would, as a slight favor, to ask of one of his captors.
And then pulling a plain gold ring off his finger, he said:
"It is only to convey this to the daughter of Carl Rosenthrall, if he can find means of doing so, without exposing himself to danger. I can hardly wish her to be made acquainted with my fate."
When he had finished, Captain Flint stepped up saying that he would undertake to perform the office, and taking the ring he placed it upon his own finger.
By this time it was dark. With a firm tread Billings stepped upon the plank, and the next moment was floundering in the sea.
The next thing for the pirates to do was to scuttle the ship, which they did after helping themselves to so much of the most valuable portion of the cargo as they thought they could safely carry away with them.
In about an hour afterwards the ship sank, bearing down with her the bodies of her murdered crew, and burying, as Captain Flint supposed, in the depths of the ocean all evidences of the fearful tragedy which had been enacted upon her deck.
The captain now directed his course homeward, and the next day the little vessel was lying in port as if nothing unusual had happened, Captain Flint pretending that he had returned from one of his usual trading voyages along the coast.