ds!" says I, stepping up to him. "Do you go--alive, or stay
here dead--which?"

"Split me!" says he, never stirring. "But 'tis small choice you offer,
Marty--"

"My name's Martin!"

"And a curst good name too, Marty. But I've no mind to be worm's-meat
yet awhile--no! Come, what's your quarrel wi' me? First Andy would
murder me and now 'tis you--why for? Here's me wi' a heart of gold t'
cherish a friend and never a friend t' cherish! What's your quarrel,
lad, what?"

"Quarrel enough, what with your drugging me and murder aboard ship--"

"Avast, lad! Here's unchancy talk, ill and unmannered!"

"You murdered divers men aboard the 'Faithful Friend.'"

"Only three, Marty, only three--poor souls! Though yours is a foul
word for't. I took 'em off, lad, took 'em off as a matter of policy.
I've never took off any yet as I wasn't forced to by circumstances.
Look'ee, there's men in this world born to be took off by someone or
other, and they always come a-drifting across my hawse and get took off
accordingly, but don't blame me, lad, don't. And as for a-drugging of
ye, Marty, true again! But love me! What was I to do? But I didn't
take you off, lad, no, nor never shall unless you and policy force me
so to do. I'm no murderer born--like Adam--curse him! Clap me
alongside Adam and I'm a turtle-dove, a babe for innocence and a lamb
for meekness! There never was such a murderer born into this wicked
world as Adam Penfeather, with a curse! 'Twas he as murdered Black
Bartlemy and nine sweet, bright lads arter him, murdered 'em here one
by one, and wi' a parchment rove about the neck of each poor corpse,
Marty. 'Twas he as drove their mates out to sea to perish in a leaky
boat--ask Abnegation Mings! 'Twas him nigh murdered me more than once,
aye me, lad, as can't BE killed according to the prophecy of the poor
mad soul aboard the old 'Delight.' Why Adam, curse him, has murdered
more men than you have years. And talking of him, how cometh it you
aren't blown t' hell along wi' him and the rest?"

"Do you tell me Adam is dead?"

"Blown up aboard the 'Faithful Friend,' lad. Just after we run her
aboard and grappled, aye blew up she did and nigh took us wi' her.
Aha, but Adam's dead at last, curse him! Unless he can't be killed
either, unless he is--"

Here, and all at once, he turned to stare away across Deliverance, then
shrinking, cowered towards me as in sudden terror stabbing at the empty
air with his g