"I am, sir," said Mark, sharply, "but I'm going to leave a strong prize crew here on board, and I wouldn't advise you or your men to make any attempt at recapture. Matters might turn out, as you call it, `ugly.'" "All right, squaire, but I don't see where your strong prize crew is coming from," said the man, drily. "Indeed!" said Mark. "I shall be able to show you. I can pick out half-a-dozen blacks from the other schooner who will help the man forward to keep pretty good watch over your crew, and who will not be over particular if there are any tricks." "Oh! slaves!" said the man, with a sneer. "There are no slaves here, sir, now. Under the British flag all men are free." "Oh, if yew're going to talk Buncombe, squaire, I've done." "And so have I, sir," said Mark, "for there is plenty of work wanting me." Leaving the American in charge of the big black, Mark set to at once to make his arrangements, after the poor creatures had been let out of the hold, where they had been nearly suffocated, and now huddled together on deck, trembling and wondering what was to be their fate. "I don't like parting with you, Tom Fillot," said Mark, "but I must. You will take charge here with Billings, Dance, Potatoes, and three of the blacks Soup drilled as his guard. It's a poor crew for you." "Best we can do, sir," said Tom Fillot, cheerily. "I'll have half the Americans on board with me." "Beg pardon, sir, don't." "But they are too many for you to have with your weak force." "Well, sir, quite enough, but you keep the skipper on one schooner, and the men on the other. They're best apart, sir." "But you cannot manage." "Lookye here, sir, I'm going to have a talk to old Taters, and I shall give him a capstan bar to use, instead of the cutlash. I don't understand his lingo, but him and me can get on, and I can make him see what I want; and after that it won't be safe for any man o' the Yankee crew to put his head above the combings of that hatch. You trust me, sir, to manage. Dick Bannock'll be quite as good as me if you appynt him mate. Get back aboard, and make sail, and we'll follow steady like in your wake." "But the blacks we have set free?" "Taters and me'll manage them, sir, and 'fore many hours are up, we'll have two or three on 'em good at pulling a rope. You won't make much sail, sir, of course, now?" "As little as I can, Tom; just as much as we can manage. Then now I'll get back, and the sooner we can set eyes on the _Nautilus_ the better." "So say I, sir. But you keep a good heart, sir, and above all things don't you trust Mr Yankee Skipper, sir." Mark gave the sailor a meaning look. "That's right, sir, and above all things mind he don't get hold o' no pistols." Mark laughed, and after a few instructions he ordered the American into the boat; his men followed, and he was about to step down too, when there was a yell forward, and the sound of a heavy blow or chop.