"Though he kicked with all his might he could not start a plank. He
tried again and again, till every muscle in his body ached. At last he
had to give it up. His temper was not growing very sweet, as may be
supposed. He began to think whether it was Joe Gubbins that had brought
him aboard, for he didn't come of his own accord, of that he was
certain. He vowed that he would pay Joe off whenever he fell in with
him. At last the firing ceased. He felt, by the quiver running through
every plank and timber that the craft was carrying as much sail as she
could bear. There was no more cheering, and he could not tell whether
she had got away altogether, or was still trying to escape from a big
enemy. He tried to fancy why he was kept down there all this time. He
supposed that he had been forgotten by whoever brought him aboard. He
could not tell whether the vessel was a king's ship or a privateer, but
that she was not a merchantman he was pretty sure. Perhaps, if she was
a man-of-war, or a privateer, she was being chased by a Frenchman, but
if she was a pirate she was more likely to be running from an English
frigate than any other. Still it was not likely that a pirate would
venture into Plymouth Sound.

"In either case Toney didn't relish the thoughts of being captured. In
one there would be a French prison in store for him, and in the other a
man-of-war captain would not believe that he had been brought aboard
against his will, and would declare that he had stowed himself away to
escape. At last he got so hungry that he began to fear he should be
starved to death. He tried another shout. His voice didn't reach those
on deck. He knew by this time that it must be night. Having nothing
better to do, he was going off to sleep when he heard a bolt withdrawn
from the outside, and a light streamed in to where he lay.

"`Who are you?' he asked, springing up and knocking his head against the
deck above him with a force which sent him backwards.

"`I'm coming to see how you're getting on, mate,' answered his visitor.

"`Badly enough,' said Toney, `I'm as hungry as a shark, and don't like
being shut up down here. Who are you?'

"`I've been sent down here to ask if you'll, like a wise man, join this
craft. She wants hands, and as you're well-known to be a good seaman,
you'll get a good berth aboard.'

"`I never join a craft unless I know what sort of a captain and
messmates I'm a-going to have,' said Toney.