‘Don’t you tell him,’ exclaimed Tom, with a loud, forced, unnatural laugh. ‘There is sometimes pleasure to be got out of surprise, Mr. Green. Besides, curiosity may coax him into paying me a visit; name me, and the corporal will say, “Oh yes, I remember,” and stop ashore. I propose this,’ he continued, speaking rapidly as though to overwhelm immediate thought in his hearers by crowding new ideas upon them. ‘First, what can you let us have?’
Old Daly answered that they could supply the brig with a small quantity of fresh beef, plenty of potatoes, a little fruit, eggs, poultry, and goats’ flesh.
‘We shall want to fill our water-casks. Will the islanders do that for us if we send that boat?’ said Tom, pointing to the Childe Harold’s quarter-boat chocked in room of the brig’s long-boat.
‘Oh yes; that shall be done,’ said old Cotton.
‘We’ll take all you can let us have,’ continued Tom. ‘And, by way of exchange—Mr. Bates, be good enough to carry our friends into the hold and break out some cases of wearing apparel. They shall value the stuff for themselves.’
‘At once, sir?’ said Mr. Bates.
‘At once,’ responded Tom, stepping to the skylight to look at the time. ‘It’s a quarter to three. I shall want a wider offing for the night, and don’t want to tow that boat out to sea.’
The mate and the islanders went away in a body. Tom began to pace the deck, often gazing at the island, his brows knitted, his face very fierce and dark. I guessed by his looks he wished to be alone, and quietly descended the ladder, at the foot of which stood Will smoking a pipe.
‘Marian,’ he cried, ‘this is an amazing thing to happen!’
‘Aye, but you mustn’t look amazed. We mean to get the wretches in our power. Sooner than come aboard they’d climb to the top of that island to escape Tom if they suspected who we were.’