his bein' able to persuade ye to give us the
help we wants?" he enquired in conciliatory tones.

"There might be, perhaps, if all hands of you were willing to agree to
my terms," I answered, stubbornly determined to drive the best bargain
possible.

"Ah!" he exclaimed with an air of satisfaction; "that sounds better;
yes, a good deal better, it do. You say what them terms of yours be,
Mr Troubridge, and I dare say I could very soon give ye a hidea whether
we'd be willin' to agree to 'em. You won't find us noways unreasonable,
sir, I promise ye, because we wants your help badly, and there's no use
in pretendin' that we don't. You've proved yourself to be a hefficient
navigator, and me and Chips has quite made up our minds that we might go
farther and fare a precious sight worse in the way of findin' somebody
to take your place. Besides, we don't want no murder if we can anyways
help it, and I know that all hands in the fo'c's'le'd be willin' to
agree to a'most anything in reason to dodge that sort of thing."

"Do you really mean that, Polson?" I demanded. "Because, if so, it is
a very great pity that you did not frankly say so when this matter was
first broached. Besides, although you sailors may be inclined to listen
to reason, you must remember that you cannot answer for Wilde and the
rest of the emigrants--"

"Oh, but I think we can, Mr Troubridge!" interrupted the boatswain.
"Ye see, sir, it's this way," he continued. "We sailormen are the
masters of the sittyation, as the sayin' is. Wilde and his lot can't do
nothin' without our help; they can't navigate the ship, and they can't
handle her; there ain't one of 'em knows enough to be able so much as
clew up a r'yal, or take in the flyin' jib; so if they wants to carry
out their plan, they'll have to agree to the same as what we does, d'ye
see? And we're willin' to agree to anything reasonable as you may want
to propose."

This sudden complaisance on the part of the boatswain put a very
different complexion upon the whole affair, and was infinitely better
than I had dared to hope. With the entire crew at my back I ought to
have no difficulty in keeping Wilde and his lot in their proper places;
and--well, the sea has many surprises for those who follow it, and who
could know what might happen? But it was no part of my policy to betray
to this man the extreme satisfaction which his words had given me, and
thus, perhaps, subtly suggest to him the idea th