"I really regret that you are such a wonderful man. If you were not
I'd give you the liberty of the ship. As it is, I crave your pardon
for keeping you a prisoner in your state-room. The exigencies of war,
you know."

"Don't mention it, Dutchy. For the second time I ask you: When you
have delivered this cargo of coal, what do you intend to do with my
ship?"

"We will, in all probability, give you a new crew, and the present
crew of the _Narcissus_ will go aboard one of our warships and thus
remove themselves from the reach of a possible indictment for piracy
and mutiny on the high seas."

"Where will you get a new crew for me?"

"Our fleet has sunk a few British tramps in mid-ocean during the past
sixty days. Naturally they removed the crews first. These prisoners
are in our way, and the admiral will welcome an opportunity to load
them all aboard the empty _Narcissus_, for even prisoners of war must
eat, and the stores aboard our fleet are more valuable than these
captured seamen. In obedience to that first law of human nature they
will not object to working the _Narcissus_ into the nearest South
American port."

"Well, that's comforting; but for heaven's sake don't be too much of a
hog with my cargo. Leave me enough of it to carry my ship to the
nearest port. She burns about thirty-five tons a day--you might get
the statistics from Reardon."