me so long?"

"For private reasons."

"Ah!" he said eagerly, and he looked at me keenly. "One of us, eh?
Stand up, Richard Tretheway."

I stood up. Tall as he was, I was taller, and broader too, for that
part. The Trewinions have ever been a race of giants.

"What do you wish us to do with you?" he said at length.

"I'm not anxious."

"Then you don't mind walking the plank?"

"It won't matter much. I must die some time, and I've not much to live
for."

The captain's eyes sparkled.

"What do you think of us?" he said at length.

I looked at our crew, who were evidently to be sent away to die. I
thought of our officers who had only a few minutes before been
condemned to death, and I said savagely:

"I think you are bloodthirsty villains--demons out of hell."

He laughed a mirthless, cruel laugh, while the crew demanded my death.

"What would you do if you had us in your power?"

"Hang you."

"Why?"

"To rid the earth of such a crew."

"Let him walk the plank," cried the men.

But the captain was more forbearing.

"Why, look you," he said, "you are just as bad as we. We sent your
officers to Heaven or to the other place for our safety, while you
would send us there for the safety of the world. Who has the most
reason on his side?"

I was silent at this, and the captain went on: "You fought like a mad
bull when we were boarding you. There are three men down under lying
half dead because of you."

"Serve them right," I said, "I was defending the party attacked, and,
while I don't care a fig for my own life, I would fight to defend those
who do."

"Would you like to be one of us?" said the captain.

"What would you have me do?"

"Be a king on the high seas."

In spite of everything I felt a liking for the captain. There was a
fascinating power about him, and I wanted to know about him. My eight
years on the wave had hardened me, and my hatred had dulled my higher
feelings.

"Look you," he went on, "we are not wholly bad. We have freed hundreds
of slaves, and while we live by plunder we only take from the strong
and the rich. Only last week we set at liberty two hundred slaves who
would have been sold to a living death."

He went on speaking in this strain until I was less bitter towards him,
but I said:

"All this does not prove that you are not cold-blooded villains. The
officers of my ship are now dead through you. Your robbery is bad.
Your murder is worse."

Again the