"Now, why did ye want to go and say that?" he cried. "Iverything was as aisy as could be, and you go and upset it all." "Poor Abel!" said Jack at last, softly. "Ay, poor old Abel!" said Bart, with a groan. "You here?" said Jack, starting up and catching the rough fellow by the arm. "Here?--ay!" growled Bart, slowly. "Where did you think I was, lad?" "I didn't think, Bart, or I shouldn't have said that," cried Jack, earnestly. "Where would you be but at my elbow if I was in trouble, ready to be of help?" "Ay, but there's no helping you here, lad," said Bart with a groan. "No helping me! But you can, Bart. Do you wonder that I hate the world?--that I see it all as one crowd of enemies fighting against me and trying to crush me down? Not help me! Oh, but you shall! My poor brother! They shall pay heavily for this!" "What'll you do, lad?" said Bart, despondently. "Do!" cried Jack, with a savage laugh--"do what poor Abel always hung back from doing, and stopped Black Mazzard from many a time. I don't read my Bible now, Bart; but doesn't it say that there shall be blood for blood; and my poor brother's cries aloud for vengeance, as they shall see!" "No, no, my lad," whispered Bart, hoarsely; "let it stop here. It seems to me as if something said: `This here's the end on it. Now get her to go back home.'" "Home!" said Jack, with a fierce laugh. "Where is home?" "Yonder," said Bart, stolidly. "No! Here--at sea. Bart, there is no other home for me; no other hope but to have revenge!" "Revenge, lad?" "Ay, a bitter, cruel revenge. I could have been different. I was once full of love and hope before I knew what the world was like, but that's all past and dead--yes, dead; and the dead yonder is looking toward me and asking me to remember what we have suffered." "But think." "Think, Bart? I have thought till my brain has seemed to burn; and everything points to revenge, and revenge I'll have!" "It's the end of it all now," said Bart, solemnly. "Let's go back." "The way is open, Bart Wrigley. I have no hold upon you, and I can work alone. Go!" "You wouldn't talk like that," said Bart, huskily, "if you was cool." "What do you mean, man?" "'Bout me going," said Bart, in a low, husky voice. "There's only one way for me, and that's where you go, lad. It allus has been, and it allus will be till I'm took. What are you going to do?" The question was asked in a quick, decisive way, very different to the despondent air that had pervaded his words before, and the manner was so marked that Jack laid his hands on his companion's shoulders. "It's my fate to be always saying bitter things to you, Bart, and wounding you." "Never mind about that," said Bart, huskily. "Long as I'm the one as you trusts, that's enough for me. What are you going to do next?" There was no answer for a few minutes, and then the words whispered were very short and decisive.