He
seemed to be unwilling to speak; when words came, they were cold and
measured.
"I haven't any use for that fellow," he said. "I suppose the
unpleasant story must be told sooner or later, so here goes. In the
first place, Poincilit forgot that I understood Spanish, and I heard
him yelping to the Chileans in the jolly-boat that if we took any more
people on board we should be swamped. It was he who put the notion in
their heads to cast off while you were lowering Miss Baring's maid into
my arms. I tried to forget that, as he was blue-white with fear, and
some fellows are not responsible for their actions when their liver
melts. But I can never forget his action on the island. Yesterday
morning I was just in time to stop him and four others from sneaking
off in the life-boat with all our provisions."
Courtenay's face hardened too.
"Necessity may have no laws," said he; "but I fancy I should have found
a code to meet his case."
"I have organized a Vigilance Committee in my time, and its articles
kind of fitted in," was the American's quiet reply. "That is why I
have a few recent knife-cuts distributed about my skin; I began to
shoot and we were two short on the muster roll next day.
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