the British lines together, old Muzzy still clutching
me with one hand, and as soon as we had reached a quiet spot out of
earshot we sat down and he commenced his tale.

"You see, it's this way. Arter what happened when we was coming out of
the river, where we lost you overboard, I come to the conclusion that
that cousin o' yours warn't what I calls a honest man. Nobody can't
say as how I'm one of your squeamish sort, 'cause I ain't. As fur as a
bit o' smuggling goes, or a bit of privateering, or even a bit o'
piracy, in a general way, I don't say nothin', but when it comes to
taking and firing a culverin at your own ship, with your own mates
aboard of her, why, d'ye see, I don't call that honest. And when I
find out as a man ain't what I calls honest, I don't sail in his
company. Mind you, I'm not the man to deny that Captain Gurney has his
good points; he ain't no lawyer, that I'll admit, and he's as free
with his rum-cask as any man I ever wish to sail under. But arter that
business what I've mentioned, me and my mates swore we wouldn't have
nothing more to do with him.

"Well, when we got outside the river, we pointed her head for the
nor'ard, and by keeping pretty close along the shore, though we
hadn't a soul on board that could navigate, we managed to bring the
old _Fair Maid_ safe into port--that's Bombay. You may strike me blind
as I set here, when I tells you that no sooner did we bring up in the
harbour than who should we see carmly settin' on the quay a-waiting
for us but that eternal cousin of yourn! How on earth he got there's a
mystery, but there he was; and as soon as he sights the _Fair Maid_ he
comes off in a boat as cool as you please and takes the command
again."

"Why did you let him?" I asked, with a touch of my old resentment
against Rupert. "Why didn't you refuse to take him on board?"

Old Muzzy gave me a reproachful look and shook his head gravely.

"No, no, boy, we couldn't go for to do that. That would ha' been flat
mutiny; and remember his name was on the ship's books as first
officer, and he might have pistolled us every one and had the law on
his side. We didn't dare leave him neither, 'cause that would ha' been
desertion, d'ye see, and he might have got out a warrant and had us
brought on board again in irons."

"What did you do, then?" I demanded as he paused, and a smile of deep
cunning slowly overspread his face.

"I'll tell you what we did, Athelstane, my hearty. We got oursel