“Aye, we will answer you as soon as we see you.... Keep your eyes skinned fore and aft on deck there.... Ready, boys?” “All ready, sir”; voices came from further off. “Listen to me,” I entreated. Someone called out briskly, “This is a bad place for pretty tales of Englishmen in distress. We know very well where we are.” “You are off Rio Medio,” I began anxiously; “and I-------” “Speaks the truth like a Briton, anyhow,” commented a lazy drawl. “I would send another man to the pump,” a reflective voice suggested. “To make sure of the force, Mr. Sebright, you know.” “Certainly, sir.... Another hand to the brakes, bo’sun.” “I have been held captive on shore,” I said. “I escaped this evening, three hours ago.” “And found this ship in the fog? You made a good shot at it, didn’t you?” “It’s no time for trifling, I swear to you,” I continued. “They are out looking for you, in force. I’ve heard them. I was with them when they started.” “I believe you.” “They seem to have missed the ship.” “So you came to have a friendly chat meantime. That’s kind. Beastly weather, aint it?” “I want to come aboard,” I shouted. “You must be crazy not to believe me.” “But we do believe every single word you say,” bantered the Sebright voice with serenity. Suddenly another struck in, “Nichols, I call to mind, sir.” “Of course, of course. This is the man.” “My name’s not Nichols,” I protested. “Now, now. You mustn’t begin to lie,” remonstrated Sebright. Somebody laughed discreetly. “You are mistaken, on my honour,” I said. “Nichols left Rio Medio some time ago.” “About three hours, eh?” came the drawl of insufferable folly in these precious minutes. It was clear that Manuel had gone astray, but I feared not for long. They would spread out in search. And now I had found this hopeless ship, it seemed impossible that anybody else could miss her. “You may be boarded any moment by more than a dozen boats. I warn you solemnly. Will you let me come?” A low whistle was heard on board. They were impressed, “Why should he tell us this?” an undertone inquired. “Why the devil shouldn’t he? It’s no great news, is it? Some scoundrelly trick. This man’s up to any dodge. Why, the ‘_Jane_’ was taken in broad day by two boats that pretended they were going to sell vegetables.” “Look out, or by heavens you’ll be taken by surprise. There’s a lot of them,” I said as impressively as I could. “Look out, look out. There’s a lot of them,” someone yelled in a sort of panic. “Oh, that’s your game,” Sebright’s voice said to me. “Frighten us, eh? Never you mind what this skunk says, men. Stand fast. We shall take a lot of killing.” He was answered by a sort of pugnacious uproar, a clash of cutlasses and laughter, as if at some joke. “That’s right, boys; mind and send them away with clean faces, you gunners. Jack, you keep a good lookout for that poor distressed Englishman. What’s that? a noise in the fog? Stand by. Now then, cook!...”