en, that yours is a better idea
than that."

"Ye-es. Rather."

"Well, let's have it."

Fitz was silent, and more full of bitter regret that he had spoken.

"I say, you are a precious long time about it."

"Well, I don't know," stammered Fitz. "I don't think I ought to;
perhaps it wouldn't be a good one, after all."

"Well, you are a rum fellow, Burnett! I began to believe in you, and
you quite made my mouth water, while now you snatch the idea away.
What's the matter?"

Fitz cleared his throat, and pulled himself together.

"Well," he said; "you see, it's like this. I've no business as your
prisoner to take part with you against a State which is recognised by
the British Government, and to which your father has surreptitiously
been bringing arms and ammunition that are contraband of war."

"_Phee-ew_!" whistled Poole, grinning. "What big words! What a
splendid speech!"

"Look here, if you are beginning to banter," replied Fitz hotly, "I'm
off."

"Yes, you've just let yourself off--bang. We had got to be such friends
that I thought you had dropped all that and were going to make the best
of things. You know well enough that Villarayo was a bully and a brute,
a regular tyrant, and that Don Ramon is a grand fellow and a regular
patriot, fighting for his country and for everything that is good."

"Yes, yes, I know all that," said Fitz; "but that doesn't alter my
position until he has quite got the upper hand and is acknowledged by
England. I feel that it is my duty to be--to be--what do they call
it?--neutral."

"Oh, you are a punctilious chap. Then you would be neutral, as you call
it, and let Villarayo smash up and murder everybody, because Don Ramon
has not been acknowledged by England?"

"Yes, I suppose so," said Fitz; "but these are all diplomatic things
with which I have nothing to do."

"And you have got a good idea, then, that might save us out of this
position?"

"Ye-es; I think so."

"And you won't speak?"

"I feel now that I can't."

"Humph!" grunted Poole. "It seems too bad, and not half fair to the
governor."

"It is not fair to me to make me a prisoner," retorted Fitz.

"He didn't make you one. You came and tumbled down into our hold, and
we did the best we could for you. But don't let's begin arguing about
all that again. Perhaps you are right from your point of view, and I
can't think the same, only of helping to get the _Teal_ out of this
scrape."

"I wish I cou