“It looks as though it might come on thick,” I answered Jim, “but there’s no danger of our parting company with the Pirate yet.  There isn’t enough wind to move her a knot an hour.”

It was a long, hard pull to the Sovereign and when we arrived her captain was on deck with his daughter.  She had finished trying to persuade him to leave his fortune, and stood near our third officer, who was ready to start back with the remainder of the crew.  All but four men had insisted on leaving.  These were the steward, two quartermasters, and a sailor.

“If there is any valuable stuff in the way of currency or spices, you can turn them over to me, and our captain will give you his receipt for them,” I said, as I came over the side.

The little Englishman looked slowly up and down my six feet and more of length as I stood on the rail, and I fancied he smiled slightly.  He was a florid-faced, bearded man, with clear blue eyes which had no sign of fear in them.

“I reckon we’ll risk taking in what we have,” said he; “at the same time I want to thank your captain for standing by and taking the men he has already.  You don’t think he could spare a few volunteers to help me in, do you?  I’ll give a hundred pounds to every man who’ll stand by and run the risk.”

“Well,” I stammered, “I’m second mate myself, and therefore can’t very well leave; but he’s sent you one extra hand.  The fellow is a good enough sailor, but he’s in irons for fighting.  He wants you to take him in exchange for the men you’ve sent.”

The florid face of the English captain grew redder.  His blue eyes seemed to draw to small points that pricked my inner consciousness.  I suppose I showed some of my embarrassment, for he spoke in a gentler tone than I expected.

“Sir.  I keep no one in peril against his wish.  Neither do I run a convict ship.  You may take your desperado back to your captain with the compliments of Captain Sackett, once of Her Majesty’s Naval Reserve, and tell him the laws of his country are sufficient to deal with all persons.”

“If I did,” I answered, “you would have your men forced back into your wrecked vessel.”  And I pointed to the main deck, upon which the sea rolled and swashed in little foamy waves through the side ports, which were now below the heave of the swell.  She was clear under amidships, and only the topgallant forecastle and poop were out of water, which was now nearly level with the floor in the after cabin.  Everything showed wreck and ruin, from the splintered spars and tangled rigging to the yellow-white gaps in her bulwarks where the masts had crashed through.