"No, not even to serve Joe Daygo out," said Vince. "An old wretch! But
he deserves it."

"And faith of a gentlemans, on your word of _honneur_, you vould not
tell vere ze contraband is kept?"

"On our honour, as gentlemen, we would not: would we, Mike?"

"No," was the eager reply.

"I believe you bose," said the captain. "But you could not keep your
vort. It is impossible."

"But we would," said Vince.

"You vould try, _mon garcon_, but you vould be _oblige_ to tell.
Listen--von vort for all. I have faith in you bose, but no, it cannot
be. You cannot go back, so you must act like ze man now."

"Then you are going to take us away?" cried Vince.

"I 'ave take you avay, my boy, and I sall not let you go back till I no
longer vant ze cavern store, and ze safe place to hide. Zen you may go
back--if you like."

"What do you mean by that?" said Vince quickly.

"Vat I say: if you like. I sink by zat time you bose say to me, `_Non_,
Monsieur Jacques, ve do not vant to go.' Now I talk no more. Down vis
you!"

"Only tell us one thing," said Vince: "where are you going to take us?"

"I tell you ven I can," said the captain.

"What do you mean by that?" cried Mike excitedly.

"Vat I say. I do not know."

He pressed them towards the hatchway, and they descended, feeling that
they could do nothing else, while the captain followed and opened a door
opposite to that of the cabin.

"Zere," he said. "You can sleep in zose bunk. I keep zat for my
friend, and I give zem to mine _ennemi_, you see. I vill not lock ze
door, but you listen, bose of you. I am ze capitaine, and I am _le
roi_--ze king here. If a man say he vill not, I knock him down. If he
get up and pull out ze knife, I take ze pistol and shoot: I am
_dangereux_. If I hear ze strange noise, I shoot. Don't you make ze
strange noise in ze night, _mes amis_, but go sleep, as you _Anglais_
say, like ze sound of two top hummin. You understand. _Bon soir_! You
come to ze _dejeuner_--breakfast in ze morning."

He shut them in, and the two boys were left in the darkness to their
thoughts. But they were too weary to think much, and soon felt their
way into their bunks, one above the other.

An hour later the door was softly opened, and a lanthorn was thrust in,
the captain following to look at each face in turn.

There was no sham this time. Utterly worn out by the excitement of the
past hours, Vince and Mike were both off--fast in the heavy