I don't like them, sir," returned Captain Smollett. "And I think I
should have had the choosing of my own hands, if you go to that."

"Perhaps you should," replied the doctor. "My friend should perhaps have
taken you along with him; but the slight, if there be one, was
unintentional.--And you don't like Mr. Arrow?"

"I don't, sir. I believe he's a good seaman; but he's too free with the
crew to be a good officer. A mate should keep himself to
himself--shouldn't drink with the men before the mast!"

"Do you mean he drinks?" cried the squire.

"No, sir," replied the captain; "only that he's too familiar."

"Well, now, and the short and long of it, captain?" asked the doctor.
"Tell us what you want."

"Well, gentlemen, are you determined to go on this cruise?"

"Like iron," answered the squire.

"Very good," said the captain. "Then, as you've heard me very patiently,
saying things that I could not prove, hear me a few words more. They are
putting the powder and the arms in the fore hold. Now, you have a good
place under the cabin; why not put them there?--first point. Then you are
bringing four of your own people with you, and they tell me some of them
are to be berthed forward. Why not give them the berths here beside the
cabin?--second point."

"Any more?" asked Mr. Trelawney.

"One more," said the captain. "There's been too much blabbing already."

"Far too much," agreed the doctor.

"I'll tell you what I've heard myself," continued Captain Smollett: "that
you have a map of an island; that there's crosses on the map to show
where treasure is; and that the island lies----" And then he named the
latitude and longitude exactly.

"I never told that," cried the squire, "to a soul!"

"The hands know it, sir," returned the captain.

"Livesey, that must have been you or Hawkins," cried the squire.

"It doesn't much matter who it was," replied the doctor. And I could see
that neither he nor the captain paid much regard to Mr. Trelawney's
protestations. Neither did I, to be sure, he was so loose a talker; yet
in this case I believe he was really right, and that nobody had told the
situation of the island.

"Well, gentlemen," continued the captain, "I don't know who has this map;
but I make it a point, it shall be kept secret even from me and Mr.
Arrow. Otherwise I would ask you to let me resign."

"I see," said the doctor. "You wish us to keep this matter dark, and to
make a garrison of the stern part of the