Part 12 (2/2)
”Then find out jes' what he's willin' to do;” and the thin man spoke very earnestly. ”We'll agree to obey orders like as if we'd signed articles, an' before the brig reaches the coast you'll be mighty glad of our help.”
”Do you know what island this is?” Bob asked as if desiring to change the conversation.
”It's one of the Double-Breasted Keys,” the thin man replied.
”On the Bahama Bank?”
”Yes; pretty nigh the northern point of the shoal.”
”Then we're not more than three days' sail from Na.s.sau?”
”About that; but you can't get in without a pilot, an' it ain't much further to some port in the United States.”
To this Bob made no reply, but turned as if to leave the cabin when the Mexican stopped him by asking:
”Will you say whether we are to be given a pa.s.sage, or must we go ash.o.r.e to starve?”
”I'll talk the matter over with Joe. If he's agreed I won't say a word ag'in it, though I'd much rather take the brig in alone.” And then Bob hurried up the companion-ladder, as if eager to escape from his guests.
When the three men were alone their entire bearing changed, and the one with a red nose said in a whisper, as he shook his fist threateningly in the direction Bob had vanished:
”We'll whine 'round only till the brig's afloat, an' then if we can't get away in her, leavin' that crowd behind, we deserve to stay!”
”And when we do have a craft of our own we'll pay off some old scores to that meddlin' fool who broke up our little game in Na.s.sau!” the thin man added.
”It will be well if we do not show our hand too quickly,” the Mexican said. ”Without even so much as a revolver, we cannot hold possession in case they should decide to set us ash.o.r.e.”
”What a coward you are!” And he with the red nose spoke in a tone of contempt. ”There are only two of them, for the boys don't count, an'
marlin'-spikes or belayin'-pins comes as cheap to us as any one else. If we wanted to drive that crowd over the rail it wouldn't be very hard work, unless we two was the same chicken-hearted lubbers you are!”
The Mexican turned upon his heel as if the conversation was decidedly too personal; but he made no attempt to resent the insult, and the thin man said, in a soothing tone:
”You're talkin' sense now, pardner; but we need them fellers worse'n they do us. The brig must be afloat before anything is done.”
”Of course she must. You don't think I'm sich a fool as not to think of them tricks. Leave me to boss the job, an' it won't be many hours till we have everything our own way.”
Then the three men went on deck apparently the most honest sailors to be found on the sea; and from his place of refuge in the galley Jim watched them distrustfully.
CHAPTER XII.
SIGNS OF TROUBLE.
Bob was decidedly disturbed by this desire of the men to be taken from the key. If the story they told was true, he had every reason to expect from the first that such would be their request; and yet, now that he began to discern their true character, it was with considerable surprise he learned that they wished to link their fortunes with his, at least to the extent of leaving the island.
”I don't want sich as them around,” he muttered as he left the cabin and went forward to where Joe was sitting in the shade of the jib with his chin in his hands, trying to devise some simple plan for pulling the brig into deep water.
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