“I think the Yank proved satisfactorily the Sou’wegian isn’t the best man in the forecastle. Bill is all right enough. Come along. They’ll be all right for our business.”
“And what is their business?” I asked Martin, as they went aft. “Is it to come forrard and try and get on a fracas for their amusement? For if that’s their lay, I’ll see they get one before long if they are passengers.”
“I hear they’re part-owners. The owners will join at the islands. It’s themselves who are runnin’ the vessel an’ expedition,” said the Scot.
“Well, they strike me as a queer lot, and the whole thing don’t seem regular. Here we are in Howard’s old pirate barque, being tricked into signing on. The old rascal is in command, although he must be more than three-quarters of a hundred years old. And here we sail away on an expedition no one seems to know anything about except the owners themselves.”
“There ain’t any such thing as piracy in these times, hey?” said Martin, and he looked at me hard with his bright gray eyes, his whole broad face showing plainly enough that he was more than willing that there should be.
“No, of course not,” I said. “How the deuce could a barque like this turn pirate? She isn’t fast enough, in the first place.”
“Ye is wrong there. There ain’t anything afloat that’ll go to windward o’ this craft. Good mon, just look how she travels! Na, na, friend Heywood, this be a trim ship for a robber, and we’re uncommon well manned. Twenty men forrards, and there’ll be nigh a dozen more aft, making up to forty when we ship the owners. ’Tis a biggish crowd fer a barque o’ five hundred ton. Now I’ve been a peaceable man an’ mate o’ a dozen ships,--as you yoursel’,--but I wouldna gie thruppence fer me conscience should th’ owld raskil aft say th’ word. Be you afeard, friend Heywood?”
“Not of you, Watkins, or Howard himself,” I answered, “but it’s all foolishness to think of dodging men-of-war in these days. I’ve sailed in a man-o’-war that would clean the South Sea of all floating things in six months. It’s not that they’re after. They’re up to some expedition among the islands. Maybe the scoundrel has treasure hid, and these bloods are going out to hunt it. That’s more like the lay of it.”
“Maybe, maybe, friend Heywood, but even so I’m that keen for the adventure, I’ll not stand for the money they robbed us of, if there’s a chance to get it back.”
“Well, I’ll clear at the Bahamas if I get a chance, unless they show me that advance I missed,” I said, warmly, “and I’ll make that old scoundrel sorry for some of his sins.”