and
your men to-night?"

"We had a big fight, sir; but it waren't to-night."

"But it's quite dark still, and I suppose it's my head being giddy that
makes me feel that we're going up and down."

"Oh no, it aren't, zir," said the man, laughing; "we're going up and
down bad enough. Not zo bad as we have been."

"And round and round?"

"No; not going round, master."

"But where are we?" said Nic eagerly.

"Ah, that puzzles you, do it, zir? Well, it puzzled me at first, till I
asked; and then the doctor zaid we was in the cockpit, but I haven't
heard any battle-cocks crowing, and you can't zee now, it's zo dark.
Black enough, though, for a pit."

"Cockpit--cockpit!" said Nic. "Why, that's on board ship."

"To be zure."

"But we are not on board ship?"

"Aren't we?" said the man.

"I--I don't understand," cried Nic after a pause. "My head is all
confused and strange. Tell me what it all means."

Pete Burge was silent.

"Poor lad!" he said to himself; "how's he going to take it when he knows
all?"

"You do not speak," said Nic excitedly. "Ah! I am beginning to think
clearly now. You came with the men after the salmon?"

"Ay, worse luck. I didn't want to, but I had to go."

"Come," said Nic sharply. "To-night, wasn't it?"

"Nay. It's 'bout three weeks ago, master."

This announcement, though almost a repetition, seemed to stun Nic for
the time; but he began again:

"We had a desperate fight, didn't we?"

"Worst I was ever in."

"And--yes, I remember; we were struggling in the pool when the sailors
came."

"That's it, master; you've got it now."

"But your side won, then, and I'm a prisoner?"

"Nay; your side won, master."

"How can that be?" cried Nic.

"'Cause it is. They was too many for uz. They come down like thunder
on uz, and 'fore we knowed where we was we was tied up in twos and being
marched away."

"Our side won?" said Nic, in his confusion.

"That's right, master. You zee, they told Humpy Dee and the rest to
give in, and they wouldn't; so the zailor officer wouldn't stand no
nonsense. His men begun with sticks; but, as our zide made a big fight
of it, they whips out their cutlashes and used them. I got one chop,
and you nearly had it, and when two or three more had had a taste of the
sharp edge they begun to give in; and, as I telled you, next thing we
was tied two and two and marched down to the river, pitched into the
bottoms of two boats, and rowed aboard