same way
I was, and there may be a Scandinavian, or two, with a few Dutch, to
be counted in that list; but the most of these cusses are pirates from
choice. It's their trade, and they like it. Sanchez only aims to keep
hold of a few good men, because he has got to have sailors; but most
of his crew are nothing but plain cut-throats."

"Where does he find them?"

"Where? Why the West Indies are full of such devils; been breeding
them down there for two hundred years---Indians and half-breeds,
niggers, Creoles, Portuguese, Spanish, and every damned mongrel you
ever heard of. Sanchez himself is half French. The hell-hound who
kicked you is a Portugee, and LeVere is more nigger than anything
else. I'll bet there is a hundred rats on board this _Namur_ right now
who'd cut your throat for a sovereign, and never so much as think of
it again."

"A hundred? Is there that many aboard?"

"A hundred an' thirty all told. Most o' 'em bunk amidships. They're
not sailormen, but just cut-throats, an' sea wolves. Yer ought ter see
'em swarm out on deck, like hungry rats, when thar's a fight comin'.
It's all they're good fer."

"Watkins," I said soberly, after a pause during which he spat on the
dirty deck to thus better express his feelings "do you mean to say
that in three years you've had no chance to escape? No opportunity to
get away?"

"Not a chance, mate; no more will you. The only place I've put foot
ashore has been Porto Grande, where we run in to refit. That's a worse
hell than the ship itself."

"But Haines goes ashore; he was with Manuel's boat yesterday."

The big fellow laughed grimly.

"Bill rather likes the job, an' they know it. He's a boatswain, an'
gets a big share of the swag. He's the only Britisher aboard who
wouldn't cut and run in a minute; besides he's got a girl at Porto
Grande."

"And that fellow Anderson who was with Estada?"

"The lowest kind of a Swede cur--he'll do more dirt than a Portugee. I
know what yer thinkin' 'bout. I had them notions too when I fu'st come
aboard--gettin' all the decent sort tergether, and takin' the vessel.
'Twon't work; thar ain't 'nough who wud risk it, and if thar wus, yer
couldn't get 'em tergether. Sanchez is too damn smart fer thet. Every
damn rat is a spy. I ain't hed no such talk as this afore in six
months, Gates; the last time cost me twenty lashes at the mast-butt."

"Is there any chance of our being overheard now?"

"No; these near bunks are all empty,