"Stick your honor up chimney!" interrupted Donald. "If you go back on the agreement, I shall take the fire before Squire Peters. The question I asked was, why Captain Shivernock gave you four or five hundred dollars?" "I wish I could answer you, Don John; but I do not feel at liberty to do so just now. I will see the captain, and perhaps I may honorably give you the information you seek." "You needn't mince the matter with me. I know all about it now; but I want it from you." "All about what?" asked Laud. "You needn't look green about it. Do you remember the Saturday when I told you the Juno was for sale?" "I do, very distinctly," answered Laud. "You were in the Juno at the time." "I was; we parted company, and you stood over towards the Northport shore." "Just so." "Over there you met Captain Shivernock." "I didn't say I did." "But I say you did," persisted Donald. "For some reason best known to himself, the captain did not want any one to know he was on Long Island that night." Laud listened with intense interest. "Do you know what his reason was, Don John?" "No, I don't. You saw his boat, and overhauled him near the shore." "Well?" "You overhauled him near the shore, and he gave you a pile of money not to say that you had seen him." "It is you who says all this, and not I," added Laud, with more spirit than he had before exhibited. "My honor is not touched." "I wish you wouldn't say anything more about your honor. It is like a mustard seed in a haymow, and I can't see it," snapped Donald. "You can see that I came honorably by the money." "Honestly by it; I am satisfied on that point," replied Donald. "If I had not been, I wouldn't have sold you the boat. You see I knew something of Captain Shivernock's movements about that time. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have believed that he gave it to you." "Then you must have seen the captain at the same time." "I didn't say I saw him," laughed Donald. "But the wind is breezing up, and we are half way over to Brigadier Island. Come about, Laud." The skipper acceded to the request, and headed the Juno for Belfast. CHAPTER XIV. CAPTAIN SHIVERNOCK'S JOKE. Donald considered himself shrewd, sharp, and smart, because he had induced Laud virtually to own that Captain Shivernock had given him the money to purchase his silence, but Donald was not half so shrewd, sharp, and smart as he thought he was. "Mr. Cavendish, it's no use for us to mince this matter," he continued, determined further to draw out his companion, and feeling happy now, he was very respectful to him. "Perhaps not, Don John." "It can do no harm for you and me to talk over this matter. You saw Captain Shivernock on that Saturday morning--didn't you?" "Of course, if I say I did, you will not let on about it--will you?" "Not if I can help it; for the fact is, I am in the same boat with you." "Then you saw the captain." "Of course I did."