r about is your
_prudence_."

"Ah, yes; there sir, we _may_ fail," said Dickinson with a mournful
shake of the head. "But you give your orders, sir, and we'll do our
best to obey 'em. But afore you lays your plans I think you ought to
know how things is standing among us just now. I'm greatly afeared
you're like so many young bears--with all your troubles afore you. That
Greek rascal, Ralli, has been doin' his best to stir up all hands of us
against you--and particler against _you_, Mr Evelin--by saying as it
was all along of you as the poor armourer lost his life. He holds as
how you killed him by taking off his legs, and that you desarves to be
severely punished for doing of it; and there's some of the chaps as is
fools enough to listen to what he says and to believe it too. But
there's me and Tom Poole and two or three more--_we're_ going to hold
out to it that you did the best you could for the poor chap; and that if
it hadn't ha' been for Ralli's own obstinacy the man wouldn't never have
been hurt at all. And, however the thing goes, you may depend upon me
to give you timely warning."

"Thank you, Dickinson," said Captain Staunton. "This information which
you have just given us is most valuable, and renders it all the more
necessary that we should promptly mature our plans. Now, to show you
how thoroughly we trust you, I will explain those plans as far as we
have yet arranged them; you can then tell us what you think of them; and
you will also be better able to understand in what way you and your
shipmates can prove of most use to us."

"Well, if that don't beat all!" exclaimed Dickinson, after Captain
Staunton had stated their plans. "To think as you should go for to
arrange to run away with the schooner herself! Why, I thought the most
you'd do would be to provision and seize the launch, and go off to sea
in her, taking your chance of being picked up some time or another.
Well, there ain't a soul amongst us, I knows, as has so much as the
ghost of a hidee about your taking the schooner. Some of the hands
seems to have a kind of notion--I've found out since I spoke to you
t'other day--that you _may_ try to slip off some day if you gets the
chance; but they just laughs at it you know, and asks how you're to
manage, and how far you'd get in a boat afore the schooner'd be
alongside of you, and that-like. But _your_ plan's the right one,
cap'n--no mistake about that. And now, just say what you want us