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ing down too much frightened to stir. "Well, what then?" said the captain, impatiently. "Be quick with your palaver or I'll fire." "You'll do so at your peril," retorted the other. "Captain Harding, you are a brave man, or I wouldn't waste so many words on you or spare your life. You are powerless to resist us, as I said before, for you are but six in number, including your boys and that cur aloft; you have three other men down in the foc's'le, but they cannot join you. We are fifty. Show yourselves, my lads," he cried to his followers, who instantly ranged themselves, across the _Muscadine_ four deep, exhibiting their full strength, which was even more than he had stated. "You see!" said the pirate chief, complacently. "Look, and count them." "I see that we're outnumbered by a gang of cut-throats," said Captain Harding, bitterly. "Gently, my friend," said the other, suavely. "Some of my men understand English like myself, and might not relish your compliments, although, as a man of the world, I can make excuses for you--ah--want of tact; yes, that's the word, is it not?" "Cease your humbugging, sir, and come to the point," said the captain, trying to curb his anger, which he could hardly control in the face of the pirate's cynical impertinence. Had it not been for the sake of the boys by his side he would have let drive at the scoundrel at once, and risked his fate. "That's just what I am about to do," said the other coolly, not one whit put out of his even temper apparently. "You confess you are outnumbered? Good! I, on my part, do not wish for any further bloodshed, if I can effect my purpose without it. Besides which, I have conceived quite an affection for you and those young gentlemen there, whom I first had the pleasure of meeting at Beyrout. Good morning, signors," he interposed, taking off his Greek cap and bowing politely to Tom and Charley. "It is morning, for it's nearly one o'clock now. I hope I see you well? But to resume, captain. As I said, there's no further necessity for our fighting that I can see. You have killed three of my men, whom I considerately placed on board your ship before she left port so as to get possession of her without any bloodshed at all, although the fates willed otherwise; and we, I believe, six of yours; so in losses we may, perhaps, have the advantage of you, although that fellow there"--pointing to the Greek sailor Tom had cut down with his cutl
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