“I can afford to be,” he said quickly; “if I gang I gang wi' clean hands,” and he spat into the seawater streaming from the pump where the port-watch now were working with as much listlessness as the men they superseded. To the taunt I made no reply, but moved after Horn who had gone forward with his hands in his pockets. “What does this mean, Horn?” I asked him. “Is the vessel in great danger?” “I suppose she is,” said he bitterly, “but I have had nae experience o' scuttled ships afore.” “Scuttled!” cried I, astounded, only half grasping his meaning. “Jist that,” said he. “The job's begun. It began last night in the run of the vessel as I showed ye when ye put your ear to the beam. After I left ye, I foun' half a dizen cords fastened to the pump stanchels; ane of them I pulled and got a plug at the end of it; the ithers hae been comin' oot since as it suited Dan Risk best, and the _Seven Ststers_ is doomed to die o' a dropsy this very day. Wasn't I the cursed idiot that ever lipped drink in Clerihew's coffin-room!” “If it was that,” said I, “why did you not cut the cords and spoil the plot?” “Cut the cords! Ye mean cut my ain throat; that's what wad happen if the skipper guessed my knowledge o' his deevilry. And dae ye think a gallows job o' this kind depends a'thegither on twa or three bits o' twine? Na, na, this is a very business-like transaction, Mr. Greig, and I'll warrant there has been naethin' left to chance. I wondered at them bein' sae pernicketty about the sma' boats afore we sailed when the timbers o' the ship hersel' were fair ganting. That big new boat and sails frae Kirkcaldy was a gey odd thing in itsel' if I had been sober enough to think o't. I suppose ye paid your passage, Mr. Greig? I can fancy a purser on the _Seven Sisters_ upon nae ither footin' and that made me dubious o' ye when I first learned o' this hell's caper for Jamieson o' the Grange. If ye hadna fought wi' the skipper I would hae coonted ye in wi' the rest.” “He has two pounds of my money,” I answered; “at least I've saved the other two if we fail to reach Halifax.” At that he laughed softly again. “It might be as well wi' Risk as wi' the conger,” said he, meaningly. “I'm no' sae sure that you and me's meant to come oot o' this; that's what I might tak' frae their leaving only the twa o' us aft when they were puttin' the cargo aff there back at Blackness.” “The cargo!” I repeated. “Of course,” said Horn. “Ye fancied they were goin' to get rid o' ye there, did ye? I'll alloo I thought that but a pretence on your pairt, and no' very neatly done at that. Well, the smallest pairt but the maist valuable o' the cargo shipped at Borrowstouness is still in Scotland; and the underwriters 'll be to pay through the nose for what has never run sea risks.”