or's come out on
purpose to collect all kinds of curious things and see some of the
wonders of the world, I suppose it is right that he should make use of a
chance like this. But I wouldn't trust that man, gentlemen, farther
than I could see him, and that's what, with your leave, I am going to
say to my lads. I am just going to tell 'em that they have got to bring
the three gentlemen back safe and sound, even if it means that some of
them is going to lose the number of their mess, and that means this too,
that if Mr Spanish skipper don't play his game fair--well then--"

The skipper ceased speaking, and screwed up his lips very tightly just
in the light shed by the swinging lantern.

"Well, captain," put in Rodd, who felt rather amused at what he called
the fuss the skipper was making, "why don't you finish what you were
going to say?"

"Because I didn't think it was needed, my lad," was the reply. "What I
meant was, that if the doctor here didn't think it was his duty to give
that yellow chap a very strong dose, one of my lads would."

The doctor was in as high glee the next morning as the two lads, and, it
might be added with justice, the nine sailors who were to form their
crew, for to a man they were bubbling over with excitement and delight.

The moment they had heard that they were to go they began making their
preparations; all their weapons were already in a perfect state of
cleanliness, and shone as much as hands could make them, but every
pistol and gun-lock was carefully re-oiled, every flint taken out and
tightly replaced, while the blades of their cutlasses, that literally
glittered, had a final touch given to them and the edges passed along
the grindstone, which was sent spinning round in the little armoury as
hard as it could go.

The skipper himself spent half the night with the steward, packing
provisions, Joe Cross helping, for though he was to be coxswain of the
boat, he said he came in there, for after the cook he held that he knew
more about cooking "wittles" than any fellow in the ship, and this was
acknowledged without dissent, though one of the men did say that Joe
Cross took more than his share, since in addition to other duties he had
the canisters of gunpowder in charge.

The morning was glorious, the sun and the early breeze soon chasing away
the river mist, and before the tide had turned, everything was ready,
the well-stored boat alongside, and an awning rigged up over the
after-