"I tell you, Cap'n Saint Leger, you might ha' knocked me down with a rope-yarn, I was that astonished--for the voice was the voice of _George Moore_, and no other. "Hows'ever, all this backin' and fillin' of Bill's had put me on my guard. I began to understand that, after all my play-actin', they didn't even then feel altogether sure of me--they was tryin' me still; and that made me brace up and pull myself together; for I says to myself, `Now, if I makes a single mistake it's all up with everybody abaft the mainmast, and me, too.' So I looks cookie hard in the face, and I says-- "`Now I knows you, George, spite of your black hair and all your beard and mustachers. What's the meanin' of this here maskeradin'? Tip us your flipper, old shipmate,' I says, hearty like, and as if I was downright glad to see him. "Well, sir, I can tell you George looked considerable nonplussed; while Bill, he just laughed; and he says to George, `Jacob, my son, you've been and let the cat out of the bag!' Then he turns to me and says-- "`Now, Joe, there you are! Now's your chance to get back the skipper's favour by goin' aft and tellin' him as his old steward, George Moore, is aboard here, sailin' under false colours.' "`If he does,' says George, `he'd better look out for hisself!' "`All right, George, old man,' I says; `don't you worry. Did I tell the skipper anything about the way you used to talk to us about the treasure--and, by the livin' Jingo,' I says, `that's what you're after now, ain't it, mate?' "`Supposin' we was,' says he, `would you take a hand in the game? You didn't seem noways eager about it when 'twas last mentioned.' "`What was the use?' says I. `None of the others 'd have nothin' to do with it, and we couldn't manage the thing by our two selves. But if that's your game,' says I, `I'm in with you--if it's share and share alike; not otherwise,' I says. "`Well, it amounts pretty much to that,' George says, `only I'm to have two shares instead of one, seein' that I was the man that found out all about it. That's the arrangement, ain't it, Bill?' "`That's the arrangement,' says Bill, `and a fair one it is, too, _I_ think. What's _your_ opinion, Joe?' "`Yes,' I says, reluctant like, `I s'pose it's fair. But how will it work out? will there be enough to make it worth the risk?' "`Oh yes,' says George. `I don't know how much there is of it, but there's sure to be a goodish pile, or the skipper wouldn't take the trouble to come all this way to get it.' "`Well, but,' I says, `how's the thing goin' to be worked? I hope there ain't goin' to be no murder!'