u can come on deck as often as you like--
only don't let the women-folks show themselves, or they'll get into
trouble, and I--nor you--won't be able to help 'em. Tell 'em to stay in
the cabin until it's dark to-night, and then when all's quiet, the watch
below in their hammocks and the watch on deck `caulking' between the
guns, just you muffle 'em up and get 'em down there as quick as ever you
can."

"And what about the rest of my people--those of them who were sent
forward to the forecastle?" inquired Captain Staunton.

"Waal," replied Johnson, "I felt myself sorter obliged to clap 'em in
irons down in the fore-hold. You see you muster a pretty strong party,
and though you could never take the brig from us, I didn't know what you
might be tempted to _try_, when you found out the truth; and so, just to
prevent accidents, I had the irons slipped on to 'em. They'll be well
treated, though; and if any of 'em likes to jine us, so much the
better--we're uncommon short-handed, one way and another. If they don't
like to jine, they'll just be put ashore with you to work at the depot.
And, see here, stranger, don't you go for to try on any tricks, either
here or ashore, or it'll be awful bad for you. This is a _friendly_
warning, mind; I'd like to make friends with you folks, for, to tell you
the solid petrified truth, I ain't got one single friend among all
hands. The mate hates me, and would be glad to put me out of the way
and step into my shoes, and he's made the men distrust me."

"Why not retire from them altogether, then?" inquired Captain Staunton.

"Because I can't," answered Johnson. "I'm an outlaw, and dare not show
my face anywhere in the whole civilised world for fear of being
recognised and hanged as a pirate."

"A decidedly unpleasant position to be in," remarked the skipper.
"However, if there is any way in which we can _lawfully_ help you, we
will do so; in return for which we shall of course expect to be treated
well by you. Now, Bowles," he continued, turning to his chief mate,
"let us talk this matter over, and discuss the manner in which this bad
news can best be broken to the others."

Saying which, with a somewhat cold and formal bow to the pirate, Captain
Staunton linked his arm in that of his chief mate, and walked away.

The two promenaded the deck for nearly an hour, "overhauling the concern
in all its bearings," as Bowles afterwards described it, and they
finally came to the conclusion