glar leaped over the rail to assist his companion.
There was a lively prospect for a fight, and, no doubt, if Tom Newcombe
had not interposed, the deck of the pirate vessel would have been the
scene of a desperate conflict. The governor and his men were very much
enraged at their passengers, and were fully determined that they should
not leave the cove until they had kept their promise, in regard to the
thousand dollars. Sam was a very stubborn fellow, and the robber would
have found it a much more difficult task than he had bargained for to
force the secret of the path from him. "It's no use, mister," said he,
doggedly. "You may shake me as much as you please, but I just ain't a
goin' to tell you what you want to know till I see the color of that
money. You promised to give it to us, an' we're bound to have it. Punch
him in the ribs with your boat-hook, Friday."

"O now, look here!" drawled the skipper. "I won't have any quarreling
and fighting on a vessel I command. Stand back, Friday. Put away that
handspike, Xury. If you are determined to leave us, I'll send a man to
show you the way up the cliff."

"No you won't, neither!" shouted Sam, indignant at the proposition.

"But if I do," continued Tom, without noticing the interruption, "you
won't gain any thing by it. On the contrary, you will find yourselves in
ten times the danger you are in now; for the prisoner we had confined in
that cabin has escaped, and of course he has alarmed every body on the
island. We are going to sea again, immediately, and, if you will remain
with us, and behave yourselves, we will take you to a place of safety.
You ought to remember that we don't want to be captured any more than
you do."

"But you have got the whole village after you," said the burglar.

"Look here, mister, be you goin' to let go my collar?" asked Sam.

"It is by no means certain that every man in Newport is after _us_,"
said Tom. "Don't you suppose there are some in pursuit of _you_? Your
best plan would be to remain with us; and, if we succeed in getting out
of the bay, we will land you on some island, out of reach of the police
officers and the telegraph. If we find our escape cut off, we will run
our vessel ashore and take to the woods."

The burglar seemed to be impressed with Tom's arguments, for he released
the governor, and turned to consult with his companion; while Sam, who
was utterly amazed at Tom, led him off on one side and inquired:

"Hain't you ma