re I intends to remain--with
your good leave, sir. The fact is, Mr Gaunt, I've cut and run! That
fellow Williams--as, perhaps, you may know, sir--is a rare good 'un to
talk, and he managed to talk me, as well as the rest of the hands, quite
into the idee that pirating was just the best thing a poor down-trodden
seaman could turn his hand to. Lord bless you, Mr Gaunt, if you had
heard that man I'm blessed if I don't think he would have persuaded
_you_ into the same idee! But after I had agreed to jine them I began
to think matters over a bit, and the more I thought about it the less I
liked it; and at last I made up my mind that I'd slip my moorings aboard
the _Cloud_ the first chance as ever I got. And when I got to hear that
Williams was going to turn you two gentlemen and your respected families
ashore here, I says to myself, `_Now's_ your time, Tom!' And so I
managed to get told off for service in one of the boats, and, watching
my chance, I sort of strolled up among the trees and then took to my
heels, quite determined not to show up again until the _Cloud's_
to'ga'nts'ls had sunk below the horizon. And now, here I am, sir, ready
and willing to ship with you. I'm nothing but a poor ignorant man--a
blacksmith, rightly, by trade--but mayhap I may be able to make myself
useful enough to earn my bread and cheese."

"Well, Nicholls," said Mr Gaunt, "I am heartily glad to see you, my
man. And, as to your earning your bread and cheese, a stout, handy
fellow like you, and a blacksmith to boot, will be a considerable
acquisition to us in our present circumstances. I have no doubt that
Williams managed to make his plans very attractive to you poor fellows
in the forecastle; but wait and see how they will all end. We know not
what is before us. We shall, doubtless, have to endure much hardship
and be exposed to countless perils before we once more reach the shores
of old England--if ever we are fortunate enough to do so. But, whatever
hardship or peril may fall to our lot, I feel confident that in the end
you will be better off with us than you would have been with Williams
and his piratical crew. But sit down man; sit down and take some
breakfast. You must be nearly famished by this time, if, as I suppose,
you have eaten nothing since you left the ship yesterday."

Nicholls, nothing loath, at once seated himself, and was served with
breakfast, which he devoured with an eagerness that at least spoke well
for th