n disguise I should like to know what is."

"And we don't know how he is."

"No, sir, we don't know how he is, but he must be pooty bad, or else he
wouldn't go on shooting at everybody who goes nigh. I wish, though,
he'd ha' hurt old Jackum a bit more."

"Why?"

"Might ha' made the nigger so savage that he'd ha' gone down and
finished him off. I aren't a murd'rous sort o' man, Master Carey, but
he tried to kill me, only he didn't hit hard enough, and I get thinking
that there old ruffian won't be perfeck till he's quite finished. Well,
sir, what's to be done? You're skipper now as t'others is both wounded.
I should say first thing is for you to rig yourself out with a revolver
and a gun as I've got waiting for you ready, and, as it used to be when
I was aboard a man-o'-war, you just read your commission out loud to the
crew. They won't understand it, but that don't matter; we Jacks never
did. Next you'd better make me your first lieutenant as well as cook,
and then go and knock over a nigger or two just to let 'em see you mean
business."

"Don't trifle, Bob," cried Carey, angrily.

"Nay, sir, I aren't trifling; I mean it. You've got the whip hand o'
they niggers, and they 'bout worships you. Just you bounce about a bit
and let 'em see what you're made of, and then give 'em your orders what
to do."

"Yes, what would you do first?"

"Well, sir, if it was me I should send Jackum and a couple more--no, I
wouldn't send jackum, because he's not a bad sort o' fellow, and we
couldn't spare him. He'll be a splendid go-between, because you see he
understands the language, and it'll be better to tell 'em what they're
to do than knocking it into 'em with a club. You send three of 'em down
below, and let 'em put the old king out of his misery."

"What! Kill him?"

"Ay, sir, he must be badly hurt and half dead. Such chaps as him aren't
a bit o' use in the world."

Carey looked at the man with so much disgust painted in his face that
Bostock shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, p'raps that would be a bit strong, sir, but one must do
something, and it won't do to leave him down there shooting at everyone
who goes nigh."

"Let's get to the doctor first," said Carey.

"Nay, sir; I aren't going to let you go down them stairs and be shot
again, whether you're my officer or whether you aren't," said the old
sailor, stoutly.

"I am not going down that way. We must get axes to work and enlarge the
opening through