"You won't give us away?" The elder pirate's face was eager.

"On the contrary, I'll see that you don't get into any trouble."

"That's a good scout!" ejaculated he fervently, his freckled face

flushing.

"We wasn't--that is, we hadn't--well, you see?" began Jimmy. "Maybe

we'd just have camped down here and gone back to-morrow. I was afraid

about taking the boat. Besides, I've only got about six dollars,

anyhow." He spread his wealth out upon the table before me frankly.

"Have no fear," said I. "To-night I shall write a few letters that

will clear up every trouble back home, and allow us to continue our

journey to the Spanish Main."

"Oh, will you?" cried Jimmy, much relieved. "That'll be a good scout,"

he added.

Suddenly I found myself smiling at him, I who had smiled so rarely

these years, whether in the Selkirks or the Himalayas, in Uganda or

here in my own little wilderness--because Helena had left me so sad.

"But if I promise, you, also, must promise in turn."

Used as I was, already, to the astounding changes in Jimmy from boy to

buccaneer and back again, I was now interested at the fell scowl which

he summoned to his features, as soon as he felt relieved as to the

domestic situation. "Speak, fellow!" he demanded; and folding his

arms, presented so threatening a front that I saw my man Hiroshimi

covertly lay hold upon a carving knife.

"Why, then, my hearties," said I, "'tis thus. I'll sign on as

sea-lawyer and scrivener, as well as purser for the ship. Yes, I'll

sign articles and voyage with you for a week or a month, or two

months, or three. I'll provender the ship and pay all bills of libel

or demurrage in any port of call; and by my fateful gift of second

sight, which ye have seen well proven here to-night, not only will I

see ye safe for what ye already have done, but will keep ye safe

against any enemy we may meet, be he whom he may!"

"'Tis well," said L'Olonnois. "Say on!"

"And in return I ask a boon."

"Name it, fellow!"

"Already I have named it--that I, too, shall be accepted as one of the

brotherhood. Oh, listen"--I broke out impulsively--"I have never been

a pirate, and I have never been a boy. I have had everything in the

world I wanted and it made me awfully lonesome, because when you have

everything you have nothing. I have nothing to do but eat and sleep,

and hunt and fish, and read and write, and study and think, and play

my music, here. I do not want to do these things any more. Especially

I do not want to think. Boys do not think, and I want to be a boy. I

want to be a pirate with you. I want to seek my fortune with you."




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