"Dunno," was the reply, shortly given. "All depends. If you ride the high horse I may tell my pack to set you ash.o.r.e somewhere else, but if you're civil--well, we shall see. Only just recollect this, and don't argue. These are my islands all round here, and all that comes ash.o.r.e's mine. Now go to bed."

He threw himself back in his chair and raised the gla.s.s to his lips, and without a word the three prisoners filed into the state-room, and the door swung to and clicked behind them.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

They were in total darkness, but Bostock took out his match-box and struck a light to apply to the lamp, which he coolly proceeded to regulate, and then turned to wait for the doctor to speak.

Doctor Kingsmead was standing with the veins in his forehead swollen, his teeth set, and his hands clenched.

"The dog--the brutal ruffian!" he said, as if talking to himself. "So helpless. Quite at his mercy. Seemed like a coward and a cur."

"No, you didn't," said Carey, shortly. "We were taken by surprise, and they're seven to one, and all armed."

The doctor turned to him sharply.

"Seven to one?" he said.

"Yes, I counted them; twenty black fellows and him."

"And threes into twenty-one goes seven times," growled Bostock.

"Yes, yes, seven to one," said the doctor, drawing a deep breath, "and the ruffian has us at his mercy, for those black fellows would rush at us at a word, like the black pack he calls them. It's plain enough they have been within sight in a canoe, and reported to him what they saw.

The scoundrel has, no doubt, played the part of wrecker for years and taken possession of every unfortunate vessel that has come ash.o.r.e, plundered and burnt it."

"Humph!" growled Bostock.

"What do you say?"

"On'y grunted, sir. That's it. I've heard tell of chaps like him here and there in the South Seas. They knocks a few of the black fellows or coffee-coloured ones down, and makes 'em afraid, and then they do as they like, sir."

"But is it true about their eating people?" said Carey, in a low voice, and he glanced at the door as if half-expecting to be overheard.

"Oh, yes, sir, that's true enough. Our captain once said, when we had a report of a ship going ash.o.r.e and the crew being ma.s.sacred, that these chaps in some of the islands get such a little chance to have anything but fruit and fish that they're as rav'nous as wild beasts for flesh."

"Yes, yes, true enough," said the doctor. "So unfortunate for them to come when we were away. We could have defended the vessel easily."

"That means fighting, sir," growled Bostock.

"Yes; wouldn't you have struck a blow to defend the vessel?"

"Well, you see, sir, I'm only a sailor and not a fighting man," said Bostock, slowly.

"You coward!" cried Carey, indignantly. "Why, boy as I am, I'd have tried to do something, if it was only reloading the guns."

"Course you would, sir; I know that," said the old sailor, quietly.

"Didn't you give that there n.i.g.g.e.r a smeller just now?"

"What!" cried the doctor, sharply.

"Got in a temper with one of 'em for trying to steal more'n his share o'

'bacco, sir, and give him two, one in the mouth and one in the cheek.

Stop a moment; let's tell the truth if I die for it. Warn't one o' them cracks on the nose, sir?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Carey, hurriedly. "But I did think at a time like this, you'd have been ready to fight, Bostock."

"Bob, if it's all same to you, Master Carey, and I didn't say I warn't ready to fight. Why, o' course I will at the proper time."

"Then I beg your pardon, Bos--"

"Bob, sir."

"Well, Bob then, for we can't sit down quietly like this."

"That's what I think, sir, but I aren't the skipper, and it's what the doctor says as'll have to be done."

"Yes, of course, Bostock," said the doctor, hastily; "but I was so absolutely stunned by this surprise."

"Yes, sir, reg'lar took aback, I know."

"I have not known what to do or say. I must have time to think."

"That's it, sir. I know you've got to make your plans. Bit o'

scheming, because we none on us want one o' them dirty black warmint's skewers run through us. You make up your mind what to do, and tell me which rope I'm to pull, and I'll spit on my hands and haul like a man."

"Yes, yes, I know you will," said the doctor. "As to that old beachcomber, sir, shooting aren't in my way, but 'volvers or no 'volvers, you give the word when you're ready and I'll chuck him overboard to get some water to mix with his rum; and I believe that'd be doing a good action."

"Yes," said the doctor. "Look here. That man can't go on drinking strong spirit as he does without soon being quite prostrate."

Bostock looked at the speaker with an expression of disgust and contempt upon his face.

"I What, sir? Do you think that old rough would ever drink enough rum to make him stupid?"

"Of course."

"Never, sir. He just about lives on it. Bound to say he's gone on for a score o' years. Didn't you see as he only nibbled a biscuit?"

"Yes, I noticed that," said Carey, quickly.

"Yes, sir. Rum won't have no more effect on him than tea would on you and me. You try another idea, sir. What do you say to frightening them black fellows overboard? They're a rum lot; just like a pack o'

children. Frightened o' bogies. Show 'em a good scarecrow or tatty dooly, as the Scotch folk call it, and they'd think it was what they call a bunyip."

"What's a bunyip?"

"What they calls a debble-debble, sir. They're awful babies in anything they can't understand. You must give 'em some red fire, or blue fire, or 'lectricity."

"Wait, wait, wait," said the doctor, impatiently. "We must temporise.

It is no use to try and do anything in haste. The first thing we have to find out is whether that ruffian goes off to sleep or keeps watch."