"For heaven's sake, Rasp, don't listen to him," cried Mr Parkley. "What have you got to do with it?" snarled Rasp, angrily. "He says right. Your game's up, and if we're a-going diving again, I may just as well be paid for it as work for nowt." "Come, then," said the Cuban, whose face flushed. Rasp took a couple of steps forward, and the Cuban met him. "What'll you make it if I come and dive for you and get all the rest of the treasure? You can't work it proper without me, so I tell you." "I'll give you the same as Oakum," said the Cuban eagerly. "Same as him!" snarled Rasp, "and him a common sailor. How are you going to get your treasure. I won't dive?" "With this," said Laure, tapping his revolver. "Not out o' me, you can't," said the old fellow, giving a poke at an imaginary fire. "If I says as I won't dive, pistols couldn't make me-- there." "We shall see about that," said Laure, sharply. "There, I don't want to fight," said Rasp, to Mr Parkley's great astonishment, for he had looked upon the old diver as truthfulness itself. "Here's the plunder, and there's no call to quarrel over it. I tell you what: say ten per cent, on all we get, and I'm your man." "Ten per cent!" exclaimed Laure. "Well, you'll save by it," said the old fellow. "Shan't I work the harder, and get all the more?" "There's my hand upon it," said the Cuban; and they shook hands, while Mr Parkley uttered a low groan, and Dutch's eyes glittered with rage. "That will do," said the Cuban, who could ill conceal his triumph. "Now then, down below with you, captain, and you my clever adventurers. You have played with me, you see, and your cards are all trumped. Now, take my advice and wait patiently till you are wanted, for if you try any tricks against me, the stakes may mean your lives." All had gone below except Dutch and Mr Parkley, who turned round and addressed their renegade followers. "As for you, Rasp," exclaimed Mr Parkley, "if anyone had sworn to me you could be such a scoundrel, I would have called him a liar." "You keep a civil tongue in your head," snarled Rasp. "I worked faithful for you, and you made your money. Now it's my turn. You'll have to work, and dive too--d'yer hear, and I'm going to make the money." The Cuban looked on curiously as these exchanges took place, and his face flushed with pleasure as he saw Dutch turn upon Oakum, just as he was cutting himself a fresh plug of tobacco with his great clasp knife. "You cowardly old traitor," cried Dutch; and, unable to contain himself, he caught the old sailor by the throat and shook him violently. This treatment seemed to rouse the old fellow into a state of ungovernable passion, for, giving way in the surprise of the moment, he was driven back against the cover of the cabin hatch, but, recovering himself directly, with a savage oath he raised his knife and struck Dutch Pugh a fearful blow full in the chest, and the young man staggered back along the deck.