h in the
negotiations. In a somber humor, the carpenter's mate returned to his
impatient comrades on the island. They crowded about him and he briefly
delivered the message, that they were desired to cruise under Ned
Rackham's flag. This delighted them, as the only way out of a fatal
dilemma. Then Tobey went over to sit down upon the palmetto log behind
which Joe Hawkridge still sprawled like a turtle. The anxious boy poked
up his head to say:

"What cheer, Peter? A plaguey muddle you found it, I'll bet."

"Worse'n that, Joe. Rackham wouldn't clinch it with his oath unless I
told him your name. I plead with him for safe conduct."

"I'd not trust his oath on a stack o' Bibles, once he set eyes on me,"
exclaimed Joe. "As soon put my fist to my own death warrant as go aboard
with him."

"That may be," said Peter Tobey, "but you will have friends. You can't
expect us to refuse to sail on account o' you."

"Leave me here, then," cried the boy. "I'll not call it deserting me.
Take your men aboard the snow. Tell Ned Rackham you have the fellow
amongst 'em who implored the safe conduct. Pick out some harmless lad
that was saucy to Rackham in the _Revenge_, a half-wit like that
Robinson younker that was the sailing-master's own cabin boy. He was
allus blubberin' that Rackham 'ud kill him some day."

"No half-wit about you," admiringly quoth the carpenter's mate. "But,
harkee, Joe, you will die in slow misery. Better a quick bullet from
Rackham's pistol."

"Find some way to send off a little food and water, Peter, and I will
set tight on this desert island. And mayhap you will dance at the end
of a rope afore I shuffle off."

"A hard request, Joe," replied the puzzled Tobey. "Unless I can come off
again with some of our own men, how can it be done? Let Rackham's crew
suspect I am leaving a man behind and they will rout you out."

"And they all love me, like a parson loves a pirate," grinned Joe. "I
shot 'em full of spikes and bolts from a nine-pounder in the _Plymouth
Adventure_."

"I shall use my best endeavor, so help me," sighed Peter Tobey. "What
for did I ever quit carpenterin' to go a-piratin'? 'Tis the worst basket
of chips that ever was."

"No sooner do I crawl out of one hole than I tumble into another," very
truthfully observed Joe Hawkridge. "Insomuch as I've allus crawled out,
you and me'll shed no more tears, Peter. There's a kick in me yet."

The disconsolate carpenter's mate returned to his fellow pi