great composure, and then ran
on again.

"Now, you see, Jim, so be as you _are_ here," says he, "I'll give you a
piece of my mind. I've always liked you, I have, for a lad of spirit, and
the picter of my own self when I was young and handsome. I always wanted
you to jine and take your share, and die a gentleman, and now, my cock,
you've got to. Cap'n Smollett's a fine seaman, as I'll own up to any day,
but stiff on discipline. 'Dooty is dooty,' says he, and right he is. Just
you keep clear of the cap'n. The doctor himself is gone dead again
you--'ungrateful scamp' was what he said; and the short and the long of
the whole story is about here: you can't go back to your own lot, for
they won't have you; and, without you start a third ship's company all by
yourself, which might be lonely, you'll have to jine with Cap'n Silver."

So far so good. My friends, then, were still alive, and though I partly
believed the truth of Silver's statement, that the cabin party were
incensed at me for my desertion, I was more relieved than distressed by
what I heard.

"I don't say nothing as to your being in our hands," continued Silver,
"though there you are, and you may lay to it. I'm all for argyment; I
never seen good come out o' threatening. If you like the service, well,
you'll jine; and if you don't, Jim, why, you're free to answer no--free
and welcome, shipmate; and if fairer can be said by mortal seaman, shiver
my sides!"

"Am I to answer, then?" I asked, with a very tremulous voice. Through all
this sneering talk I was made to feel the threat of death that overhung
me, and my cheeks burned and my heart beat painfully in my breast.

"Lad," said Silver, "no one's a-pressing of you. Take your bearings. None
of us won't hurry you, mate; time goes so pleasant in your company, you
see."

"Well," says I, growing a bit bolder, "if I'm to choose, I declare I have
a right to know what's what, and why you're here, and where my friends
are."

"Wot's wot?" repeated one of the buccaneers in a deep growl. "Ah, he'd be
a lucky one as knowed that!"

"You'll perhaps batten down your hatches till you're spoke to, my
friend," cried Silver truculently to this speaker. And then, in his first
gracious tones, he replied to me: "Yesterday morning, Mr. Hawkins," said
he, "in the dog-watch, down came Dr. Livesey with a flag of truce. Says
he, 'Cap'n Silver, you're sold out. Ship's gone.' Well, maybe we'd been
taking a glass and a song to help it