“Let me hear it then,” said the captain.
“Please, sir, it will take some time. You may have some questions to ask,” answered Bill.
On this the captain stepped back a few paces, out of earshot of the sentry.
“What is it, boy?” he asked; “you seem to have some matter of importance to communicate.”
Bill then told him how he came to be among the prisoners, and had heard the American captain and his men talking together, and proposing to get the Frenchmen to rise with them to overpower the British crew.
Captain Waring’s countenance showed that he felt very much disposed to disbelieve what Bill had told him, or rather, to fancy that Bill was mistaken.
“Stay there;” he said, and he went to the door of the cabin which he had allowed the American skipper to occupy.
The berth was empty! He came back and cross-questioned Bill further. Re-entering the inner cabin, he found the French captain seated at the table.
“Monsieur Saint Julien,” he said; “are you cognisant of the intention of the American captain to try and overpower my crew?”
“The proposal was made to me, I confess, but I refused to accede to it with indignation; and I did not suppose that Captain Gregory would make the attempt, or I should have informed you at once,” answered Saint Julien.