the seaman with a facetious look.

"_Half_-hanged, indeed!" said Bumpus, indignantly. "I was more than
half--three-quarters, at least. Why, the worst of it's over w'en the
rope's round your neck."

"That is a matter which you can't speak to, John Bumpus, seeing that
you've never gone beyond the putting of the rope round your neck."

"Well, I'm content with wot I does happen to know about it," remarked
Jo, making a wry face; "an' I hope that I'll never git the chance of
knowin' more. But I comed here on business, Mr. Thorwald" (here John
became mysterious, and put his finger to his lips.) "I've comed here,
Mr. Thorwald, to--_split_."

As Ole did not quite understand the meaning of this word, and did not
believe that the seaman actually meant to rend himself from head to
foot, he said, "Why, Bumpus! what d'ye mean?"

"I mean as how that I've comed to split on my comrades; w'ich means, I'm
goin' to tell upon 'em."

"Oh!" exclaimed Ole, eying the man with a look of distrust.

"Yes," pursued Bumpus; "I'm willin' to tell ye all about it, and prevent
his escape, if you'll only promise, on your word as a gin'lmun, that ye
won't tell nobody else but six niggers, who are more than enough to
sarve your turn."

"Prevent whose escape?" said Thorwald, with an excited look.

"Gascoyne's."

Ole jumped off his stool, and hit his left palm a sounding blow with his
right fist.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed, staring into the face of the seaman. "I was
sure of it! I said it! But how d'ye know, my man?"

"Ah! I'll not say another word if ye don't promise to let me go free,
and only take six niggers with ye."

"Well, Bumpus, I do promise, on the word of a true Norseman, which is
much better than that of a gentleman, that no harm shall come to you if
you tell me all you know of this matter. But I will promise nothing
more; because if you won't tell me, you have told me enough to enable
me to take such measures as will prevent Gascoyne from escaping."

"No, ye can't prevent it," said Bumpus, with an air of indifference. "If
you don't choose to come to my way o' thinkin', ye can take yer own
coorse. But, let me tell you, there's more people on the island that
will take Gascoyne's part than ye think of. There's the whole crew of
the Talisman, whose cap'n he saved, and a lot besides; an' if ye do come
to a fight about it, ye'll have a pretty tough scrimmage. There'll be
blood spilt, Mr. Thorwald, an' it was partly to prevent that as