Page:Stringer - Lonely O'Malley.djvu/335

 about that new Rankin lease!" said Cap'n Sands, unhappily.

"Better be pikin' back, had n't we, Henery?"

"I guess we had, Silas, guess we had! But it does come kind o' hard, leavin' all this booty!"

Then Captain Lonely O'Malley of the Greyhound strode forward with a suggestion to make. Insomuch as the lady they carried as captive was the daughter of the Mayor of Chamboro, and was being held for a ransom of two thousand dollars in gold (and had already eaten forty cents' worth of provisions since coming on board, interposed Piggie Brennan), they, the Captain and crew of the Greyhound, were willing to surrender to their captors all claim to this said lady, on condition that no member of the crew of the said Greyhound should suffer aught of curtailment of his natural life or liberty!

This, after some show of reluctance, was impatiently agreed to, and Captain O'Malley retired to draw up the necessary paper.

The two old sea-dogs and Pauline Augusta clambered down into the little green boat,