Page:The Great Secret.djvu/62

46 "Not if we know it. Go back to your friends, Mr Gascoyne, and tell them I am in no great hurry between this and daybreak. Yet, if they put off until that hour their submission, I'll treat them as pirates, and shoot them down to a man."

"I shall give your message', capitan, only I think you are not wise; but I say nothing. You are well armed here, I see."

He lifted a long dagger from the table as he spoke, and felt its point with his thumb as he looked about him curiously.

"Yes; we are able to defend ourselves," replied the captain. "I am sorry to see you in this position, Mr Gascoyne."

"So am I, capitan, and sincerely wish it could be avoided. I shall do my best to make my friends listen to reason, I assure you."

He bowed, and turned to go, still holding the dagger in his hand. As he passed by where Philip and Adela were, he said,—

"Madam! would you not like to come on deck?"

"No!" replied Adela shortly, as she turned her face from him with aversion.

"As you please. Ah, sir," he said, bending over Philip, "I wish you could persuade the brave capitan to yield to destiny; the ship is ours, and we have better weapons than this at our command."

As he spoke he touched Philip in the side with the sharp-pointed dagger. It was a light pressure, yet he felt it pricking his skin, just over the heart, through his thin flannel shirt.

"A prog with this just there, and you'd be done for; yet, bah! that would only be one, whereas with our weapons—poof! and the lot goes."