So I did not reply to Tamsin's words, but walked away toward the cove instead. Still her words had their effect--they determined me to leave Cap'n Jack's gang as soon as possible. I saw now that it would be wrong to stay at Kynance Cove, wrong to Tamsin, wrong to myself. It would be unworthy of my love for Naomi. For two months I had not realised what lay before me, now I understood. How could I go to her with words of love upon my lips, when I sought to win back the home of my fathers by such means as Cap'n Jack hinted in his talk with his followers the night before? And so again and again I planned how I might get away. Early in the afternoon Cap'n Jack came to me. "I want us to crake a bit, sonny," he said. I did not reply, but I sat down near him in the open chimney. "It's time we come to bisness," he said. "You've bin loppin' 'bout for two months, doin' nothin' much. Well, the booys be jillus, Jasper, and they want things clear." "I've done all you've asked me," I replied. "Iss, so you 'ave, sonny, but I want to maake a man ov 'ee. I've got a purty boat, Jasper, called _The Flying Swan_. She'll be 'ome soon from what I 'ope will be a prosperous voyage. I want you to go on 'er as a soart of maate, to taake command laater on." "What do you mean?" I asked. "What is this _Flying Swan_ of which you are the owner? Is she a trading vessel? What does she carry? Besides, why choose me? I know nothing about sea life." "I'll tell 'ee," he said. "The _Flyin' Swan_ is used for smugglin' on a biggish scale. She's manned by as braave a lot of chaps as ever clained the seams of a deck. Her cap'n es Billy Coad, a man you may 'ave 'eer'd on, and wawn you would like to knaw. A man of rare piety, Jasper. He and me be the main owners, by the blessin' of Providence. Ah, it would do yer 'art good to hear 'im give his Christian experience." "Smuggling on a biggish scale. What do you mean by that?" I asked. "Well, dailin' direct weth the furrin' poarts, and at times, when Billy do see a vessel in the open say, wot do carry the flag of a Papist country, say the Spanish, well, I doan't deny--but there." "You mean that the _Flying Swan_ is but little better than a pirate ship." "Never call things by ugly naames," replied Cap'n Jack; "besides, I do look upon this as your main chance of buyin' back Pennington." "Suppose I refuse?" I suggested. "You wa'ant refuse, sonny." "Why not?" "Well, twudden pay 'ee. We doan't never have that sort wi' we. I'm a man of paice, I be; but thaise be loanely paarts, my sonny. Nearer than Lezard Town ther's 'ardly a 'ouse. You wudden be missed much." "But suppose I were to leave you?" "Laive us; no, sonny, you ca'ant do that now. You knaw too much." "How can you keep me? Suppose I were to leave the house now, ay, leave the county, who could stop me?"