ain't no use to us, and I don't hardly know what I fetched 'em along
for."

"Thank you very much," said Lance. "I have no doubt a little music now
and then would prove a solace to them; indeed, it would make the
evenings much more pleasant for us all, and if you feel disposed to
spare us an instrument we shall remember you all the more gratefully."

"Then you may consider it done," Johnson replied, as the boat's keel
grated on the beach and the party stepped ashore. "Come up to the
capstan-house with me, and you can choose which you will have, and I
will send it along at once."

Lance accordingly proceeded to the capstan-house with Johnson, while the
remainder of the party wended their way straight to the hut, well
pleased at what they considered a mark of great consideration on the
part of the pirate chief.

When Lance found himself alone with his companion he thought it would be
a favourable opportunity to prefer a request which had been in his mind
for several days, but which he had had no previous chance of mentioning.

"I am glad," he said, "to have this opportunity of thanking you,
captain, in the name of our party, for all you have done for our
comfort, under circumstances which I could not fail to perceive have
been somewhat trying to you. I now want to ask you to add one favour
more, and that is, to supply us with a sufficiency of arms and
ammunition to enable us to defend ourselves, if need be, in your
absence. Whilst you are on the island we feel ourselves to be safe, but
I confess I am not altogether without doubts as to the treatment which
we may receive at the hands of your Greek friend Ralli after your
departure. And it would add very greatly to our feeling of security in
your absence if we were provided with the means of resisting any attempt
at unfair dealing on his part. I presume it is unnecessary for me to
say that we should only use the weapons in a case of absolute
necessity?"

"Waal now, colonel," said Johnson, "what you ask is fair enough, and for
my own part I'd be willing enough to let you have all you want, but I
vow I don't just see exactly how I'm to do it. The key of the arm-chest
is in the armourer's pocket, and I can't issue anything out of that
chest without his knowledge. Now, I know that cuss, he's no friend of
mine, and he'd just go straight away and tell Ralli what I'd done, and
that'd set the Greek dead agin you all for a certainty and make things
just as uncomforta