us safe. We'll neither sink nor hang whiles we can help
it."

From the three or four score men massed below in the waist came a rumble
of approval. Captain Blood's glance raked the ranks of those resolute,
fierce-eyed fellows, then it came to rest again on Ogle. There was here
quite plainly a vague threat, a mutinous spirit he could not understand.
"You come to give advice, then, do you?" quoth he, relenting nothing of
his sternness.

"That's it, Captain; advice. That girl, there." He flung out a bare arm
to point to her. "Bishop's girl; the Governor of Jamaica's niece.... We
want her as a hostage for our safety."

"Aye!" roared in chorus the buccaneers below, and one or two of them
elaborated that affirmation.

In a flash Captain Blood saw what was in their minds. And for all that
he lost nothing of his outward stern composure, fear invaded his heart.

"And how," he asked, "do you imagine that Miss Bishop will prove such a
hostage?"

"It's a providence having her aboard; a providence. Heave to, Captain,
and signal them to send a boat, and assure themselves that Miss is here.
Then let them know that if they attempt to hinder our sailing hence,
we'll hang the doxy first and fight for it after. That'll cool Colonel
Bishop's heat, maybe."

"And maybe it won't." Slow and mocking came Wolverstone's voice to
answer the other's confident excitement, and as he spoke he advanced
to Blood's side, an unexpected ally. "Some o' them dawcocks may believe
that tale." He jerked a contemptuous thumb towards the men in the waist,
whose ranks were steadily being increased by the advent of others from
the forecastle. "Although even some o' they should know better, for
there's still a few was on Barbados with us, and are acquainted like
me and you with Colonel Bishop. If ye're counting on pulling Bishop's
heartstrings, ye're a bigger fool, Ogle, than I've always thought you
was with anything but guns. There's no heaving to for such a matter as
that unless you wants to make quite sure of our being sunk. Though we
had a cargo of Bishop's nieces it wouldn't make him hold his hand.
Why, as I was just telling his lordship here, who thought like you that
having Miss Bishop aboard would make us safe, not for his mother would
that filthy slaver forgo what's due to him. And if ye' weren't a fool,
Ogle, you wouldn't need me to tell you this. We've got to fight, my
lads...."

"How can we fight, man?" Ogle stormed at him, furiously battling