The dice were again thrown, and this time the Frenchman had quatres, and Bell, as before, sixes. Muttering a great oath, poor Picard fished up the stakes from the bottom of his pocket, and was handing them to the winner, when Captain Jem cried in a loud voice, ‘Stop.’ Both players looked up in surprise. ‘Bell,’ said the captain, sternly, ‘hand me over that dice.’ ‘Why, captain,’ quoth the other, in a cringing tone, getting suddenly very pale, and looking quickly all about him; ‘why, captain, there has been no foul play, I hope? We are gentlemen adventurers on board this ship.’ And, with that, his hand stole slily towards his pocket, as if to deposit there his winnings. Observing this motion, however, I grasped his wrist and defeated his intention, the dice falling from his fingers. At the same time, Captain Jem caught him by the collar of his doublet, crying out— ‘Why, thou booby, thine own words condemn thee; who spoke of foul play but yourself? I only asked you for the dice, and you straightway think you are accused of cheating.’ At this Bell looked sheepish enough, but presently recovering himself, began to bully and curse, swearing that he was a gentleman and a man of honour, and requesting to know by what right his dice had been taken from him. ‘Come here, Simon Radley,’ says Captain Jem, and Simon stood forth, shaking his clenched fist at Bell. ‘Have you not lost every farthing you possessed, as well as your clothes and your chances for the cruise, to this man?’ says the boatswain. Simon replied that it was so, and was entering into particulars, when Bell burst out with a great affectation of scorn and indignation— ‘A pretty fellow,’ quoth he, ‘to game with a gentleman, and then, when fortune is adverse, to go and prate of your losses, and charge your adversary with foul play! Go to, man! had I lost, I never would have accused you of cheating. But you throw no dice with me again.’ ‘No, that you may depend upon,’ answered Radley. ‘Stay,’ cried Captain Jem, ‘we are going but rashly to work. Let all the men here who have diced with George Bell hold up their hands.’ Thereupon, more than two-thirds of the crew made the sign. ‘Good,’ replied the captain; ‘now, let those who have lost money, or aught else to him, hold up their hands.’ Nearly the same number of hands were immediately displayed. Bell grew yellow in the face, and glared about him with fierce spite. ‘Good again,’ continued the captain; ‘Mr. Bell, I must congratulate you; fortune has been very kind to you—very kind indeed. Now, let those who have won money or aught else of George Bell, hold up their hands.’ Two hands were raised, and their owners being interrogated, it appeared that they had gained, one of them, not more than a couple of groats, and the other merely a small rusty pistol, which had burst the first and only time he had fired it, and against which he had staked, being incited by Bell, a good perspective glass.