"Why, that 'ere Ingian, your honour, as began the butchery
in the fort, yonder, by trying to kill Jack Fuller while
he laid asleep this morning, waiting for the captain in
the jolly boat. Jack never seed him coming, until he felt
his black hands upon his throat, and then he ups with
the tiller at his noddle, and sends him floundering across
the boat's thwarts like a flat-fish. I thought, your
honour, seeing as how I have got the command of the
schooner, of tying him up to the mainmast, and giving
him two or three round dozen or so, and then sending him
to swim among the mascannungy with a twenty-four pound
shot in his neckcloth; but, seeing as how your honour is
going among them savages agin, I thought as how some good
might be done with him, if your honour could contrive to
keep him in tow, and close under your lee quarter, to
prevent his escape."
"At all events," returned the officer, after a pause of
some moments, during which he appeared to be deliberating
on his course of action, "it may be dangerous to keep
him in the vessel; and yet, if we take him ashore, he
may be the means of our more immediate destruction;
unless, indeed, as you observe, he can be so secured as
to prevent the possibility of escape: but that I very
much doubt indeed.
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