was tripped up and secured
before I was fairly awake, and stowed alongside of the two other chaps.
Then my noble Yankee, he steps up and stands in front of us three, and
he says, says he, `Now, you chaps, you see how it is; we've got the ship
and we means to keep her; and we've made up our minds to do a little bit
of pirating; make our fortunes; and then cut the sea and live like
gentlemen for the rest of our days ashore. If you've a mind to jine us,
well and good; if not, there's a plank sticking over the bows, and I'll
be obliged to trouble you to take a short walk on it for the benefit of
your constitooshuns. You've got five minutes allowed to make up your
minds.'

"When the time was up, one of the chaps was unlashed, and the Yankee
asks him what he intends to do.

"`I'll walk that--plank, if I must,' says he; `but I hope I'm too honest
to turn my hand to your--pirating,' says he.

"`Ah right,' says the Yankee; `just as you please; there's no
compulsion; only if you're so confounded honest,' says he, `you'll have
to leave this here ship,' says he, `for we can't afford the room to stow
away sich a bulky article as honesty. That's your road, and a pleasant
passage to ye,' says he, pointin' to the plank.

"Poor Bill--I can see him now, it seems to me--he stood for about half a
minute looking far away into the moonlit sky, thinking of his friends,
maybe, if he had any; and then, without a word, he steps to the rail,
puts his hands upon it, jumps up on to the top of the bulwarks, and next
minute there was a splash alongside, and he was gone.

"T'other chap was then cast adrift, and _he_ was asked the same
question.

"`I've sailed with Bill,' says he, `for nigh on six years, and never
knew a truer-hearted shipmate, or a better seaman,' says he; `and since
it _must_ be, here goes,' says he, `to take our last cruise in company.'

"And he too jumps upon the rail just as Bill did, and, without waitin' a
second, launches himself overboard a'ter him.

"It was now my turn. I'd been thinking matters over in my mind whilst
all this was going on; and I'll confess I found it hard to make up my
mind to die. `Whilst there's life there's hope,' thinks I; `and it can
but come to a launch over the side at last, if the worst comes to the
worst;' so when they asked me what I intended to do, says I. `Tell me,
first of all, what's become of the skipper?' says I.

"`He's below in his bunk,' says the Yankee, `and the mate with