t out of the corners of his eyes
without speaking. "Look 'ee, sir," said he, after a little while, "what
I wants to know is this: be ye seeking to harm Ned England or not?"

"And do you trouble yourself about that?" says I. "Sure he can be no
friend of yours, for did I not myself see him knock out a parcel of your
teeth with an iron belaying-pin?"

"Yes, you did," says he; "but I bear him no grudge for that."

"Why," said I, "then neither do I bear him a grudge, and I give you my
word of honor that I mean no harm to him."

The fellow looked at me earnestly for a while. "You wants to know where
Ned England is, don't you, sir?" said he.

I nodded my head. "And I wants to be perserved from hanging, don't I?"

I nodded my head again.

"Then look 'ee, sir," says he, "we'll strike a bit of a bargain: if
you'll promise to say nothing to harm me and my shipmates, I'll tell you
where to find Ned England."

I considered the matter for a while. The fellow had told me a
straightforward story, nor did I doubt that he intended to break away
from his evil courses. I may truly say that I verily believe I would not
have betrayed the three poor wretches under any circumstances. "Very
well," said I, "I promise to keep my part of the bargain."

"Upon your honor?" said he.

"Upon my honor," said I.

"Then, sir," said he, "you will find him at Port Louis, in the
Mauritius," and he turned upon his heel and walked away.

XV.

I was filled with the greatest exultation by the knowledge which I had
gained through the deserter from the pirates, for not only had I
discovered the whereabouts of the one man in all of the world whom I
felt well convinced had knowledge of the Rose of Paradise, but that man
no longer had a crew of wicked and bloody wretches back of him, but
stood, like me, upon his own footing. Therefore I determined that I
would by some means or other either regain the treasure or perish in the
attempt, for I would rather die than live a life of dishonor such as now
seemed to lie before me. However, I plainly perceived that if I would
recover the treasure I would have to escape from the ship by some means
or other whilst we were upon our passage and near the isle of
Mauritius, for if I lost time by going home and standing my examination,
many things might occur which would lose the chance to me forever:
England might quit the Mauritius, or gather together another crew of
pirates upon his own account, for with su