He led her to the hatch, down which Bessy had been thrust, and ordered her to descend, which she did after a trembling glance at her husband, who still lay insensible, but with Rasp and Oakum bending over him, and the next moment, finding that she was evidently in the part that the Cuban had had furnished for his own use, and beyond which was his little sleeping cabin, she was clasped in Bessy Studwick's arms. "Why have you not thrown that dog overboard or below?" cried the Cuban, returning to where Dutch lay. "Don't you be in such a 'nation hurry," growled Rasp. "I'm not going to have my helmets and diving tackle misused by nobody. These things may be worth fifty thousands pounds yet, and if they're bruised or have holes broke in 'em, how are we to get 'em mended?" As he spoke, Rasp, with Oakum's help, dragged off the india-rubber suit and removed the helmet very carefully. "There," he said, "now you can have him; and none of your pitching him down like you did the others. He's valuable, he is." The Cuban kicked the senseless man brutally as he lay, and, two of the sailors taking him by the legs and arms, he was dragged to the hatch, and then drawn heavily down the stairs. "If I don't warm the wax o' that fellow's ears for all this, Sam Oakum, my name ain't Rasp," said the old fellow, laughing to himself. "I want one of these here diving suits very pertickler, my friend, very pertickler indeed. Ho, ho, ho!" "Right," said Oakum, in a low voice. "To-night, mind." "Oakum," said the Cuban sharply; and the old sailor faced round, wondering whether he had been heard, while Rasp went on mending and arranging his diving tackle as if nothing was the matter. "Sir to you," said Sam. "I shall sail to-night or to-morrow morning. Have all ready." "Ay, ay, sir," said Sam cheerfully; and then to himself, "Perhaps you will, and for a longish voyage." "We've got all the silver here, and I think I shall try one more spot." "All right, capen," said Sam; "nothing like having a good cargo while you're about it." "Have all ready," said the Cuban gloomily. "Right, capen," said Sam, "but--" "Well, what?" said the Cuban, looking sharply round as if in search of danger; but the shore was on every side verdant and beautiful, the sea calm and bright, and nothing to show the horrors of the ship but a few spots of blood upon the white deck. "I was on'y going to say as if I was skipper I should put off the start till the morning." "Why?" said the Cuban, looking at him searchingly. "The sun'll be down afore we could work out of this snug place so as to ketch the breeze, and there's a rock there, and a rock there, and a couple more to starboard, and three off yonder to port. I shouldn't like to take off a bit of the schooner's keel, or poke a hole in her bottom, with all that silver aboard. A man likes to obey orders, capen: but when he's got a stake in the safe running of the cargo, it makes him partickler like."