is more than I can say.
You'll get your food though, for the captain doesn't want to take your
lives--he has some scruples about that--nor do I. Indeed, you might
have escaped as far as I was concerned, although it was fortunate for
you I came, up when I did, or those Ashingo savages would have put you
to death as they did your companions."

"We are grateful for the leniency with which we have been treated, but
may I ask what the captain intends doing with us?" I said.

"Why, I suppose that he intends to sell you two young gentlemen as
slaves in the Brazils. He will give your faces and bodies a coating of
black, and put you with the rest of the negroes," answered the mate.
"And as for you," he exclaimed, turning to Tubbs, "you might have been
treated as a deserter; and if you don't sign articles and join us, you
will probably have to walk the plank. I say this as a hint to you. If
you act wisely, you'll be set at liberty as soon as we get into blue
water."

"You reckon wrongly if you think I'll join this craft or any other like
her," answered Tubbs stoutly. "I'm ready to take the consequences, for
turn pirate I won't; so you have my answer."

The mate laughed.

"Many a fine fellow has said that and changed his tone when he has seen
the plank rigged or the yard-arm with a running bowline from it.
However, I must not waste words on you. I'll send you down your
suppers, and you must manage to stow yourselves away in the best manner
you can think of for sleep. One of you must needs sit up, and he'll
have plenty to do in keeping off the rats and cockroaches, for you'll be
somewhat troubled by them, I suspect."

We thanked the mate for the promise of sending us some supper, and
wished him good-night; and I really believe that, as far as his
brutalised nature would allow, he intended to be kind to us. Cramped as
we were in the hot stifling hold, it was a long time before any one of
us could go to sleep. We were, I should have said, left in total
darkness; not the slightest gleam of light descending into the part of
the hold in which we were confined. At length I was awakened from a
tolerable sleep by a noise which betokened that the ship was getting
under weigh. I did not like to arouse my companions; but Tubbs, who had
been sitting on a locker, started up exclaiming--

"Ay, ay! I'll be on deck in a twinkling." The blow he gave his head
against the beam above him, roused him up. "Bless my heart! I forgo