‘Supposing, Wetherly,’ I continued, ‘I should determine, in a mood of desperation, to drop my command here, and refuse to navigate the vessel another league unless Miss Temple and I are put ashore?’
‘You know what ‘ud happen,’ he cried; ‘ye’ve said it o’er and o’er agin, hitting upon what’s most likely. For God’s sake, sir, clear your mind o’ that scheme, if it’s only for the lady’s sake!’
‘But what’s to follow upon our arrival in the Pacific?’ I exclaimed with an emotion of despair.
‘There’s nothen to be done but to wait,’ he answered gloomily.
‘Do you believe that every mother’s son forward believes in the existence of the treasure?’
‘Every mother’s son of ’em, sir. The belief mightn’t have been so general, I daresay, if it hadn’t been for them documents you signed. Ignorant as the men are, they know how to git four out of two and two. First, there’s the drawing on that there bit of parchment; then there was the capt’n’s yarn of how he come by the gold, as ship-shape to the minds of the men as if they’d seen him fetch it out of the Bank of England; then comes the plot of getting rid of ’em at Rio, with a crew of Kanakas to follow; and then a company of beachcombers atop of them, to carry the barque on. Here alone’s a thought-out scheme proper to convince an atheist. But then follows them documents o’ yourn to prove that you, a born gent of eddication and first-class intelligence, don’t doubt the truth o’ what ye hear, and, to make sure, provide for your share when the gold’s come at and for your security, if so be as the law should lay hold on the capt’n for a-deviating.’
‘It’s all very true,’ I exclaimed, staggered myself by the consistency of the wretched business, and forced to mentally admit the reasonableness of the illiterate creatures in the forecastle accepting it all as indisputable. ‘But you know my motive in acting as I did?’
‘Well, I do, sir. As I told ye, I was a bit nonplushed at first; but it’s a madman’s yarn—ne’er a doubt of it. And I’m as wishful, Mr. Dugdale, as ever ye can be to be quit of the whole blooming job.’
Again I came to a pause at the weather rail, as though I lingered on deck only to observe the weather.
‘Now, Wetherly, listen to me,’ said I. ‘You know you are the only man in the ship that I would dream of opening my lips to. You have my full confidence; I believe you to be sound to the core. If you will give me your word I shall be perfectly satisfied that you will not betray me.’