"Do you still advise me, madam, to accept this position which is offered
to me? I do not mean absolutely to accept it, but seem to accept it. I
know now that you are really my friend, and have full faith in you."
"I certainly do," answered the lady. "Your refusal to do so must
eventuate in your death. They have gone too far to set you free, even
under the most solemn pledges. As the most of these men would not be
faithful to any pledge made to you, so they would not trust in any
pledges made by you to them, under the circumstances. Whereas, by
seeming to accept the offer, you will, in the ordinary course of things,
have many chances of making your escape."
"Yet," remarked the young man, "if they were to undertake, for instance,
to capture a merchant vessel, I would die rather than give assistance in
the commission of such a crime."
"Of course," answered Ada, "but the `chapter of accidents' may make
unnecessary your placing yourself in antagonism to the brig's crew on
that question. We will hope so."
"Have they ever really made such captures?" asked young Coe.
"Many such," replied Ada. "They are pirates in the full meaning of the
word."
"In this business they must have committed murders," said John.
"There is not a man in the brig, except yourself," answered Ada, "who is
not responsible for the shedding of human blood."
"Dear madam," said John, pityingly, "what a terrible life you must have
led among such men."
"I have often been able to save bloodshed," said Ada. "Most of the
captures made by the _Falcon_ have been made without the taking of human
life. When life has been taken it has been mostly in cases where a
fight has followed a refusal on the part of a merchant vessel to
surrender. I have never known a case where Captain Marston has allowed
any one to be hurt after surrender. Indeed, I think at heart he is sick
of the business in which he is engaged. Afton, however, and too many of
the crew with him, appear to take pleasure in acts of cruelty."
The conversation between Mrs Marston and young Coe here closed, and the
latter returned upon deck. He expressed to the captain and the ship's
company his acceptance provisionally of the post offered to him, it
being understood that he reserved to himself the right to resign it
whenever he thought proper to do so.
Mr Afton loudly pronounced his maledictions against such "half-way"
courses; and there were at first some dark scowls seen among the men.
"I welcome you into our gallant service, Captain Coe," said Captain
Marston, with much cordiality in his manner, "and am sure that no one
member could be a greater addition to our company. As to the terms
which Captain Coe makes," continued the pirate chief, addressing the
men, "no one can object to them; any man has the right to resign at any
time any office which he holds among us. The main thing is that Captain
Coe is now a member of our band, and we all know how forcibly, in an
instance of this kind, applies the old adage, `In for a penny, in for a
pound!' Shipmates welcome our new comrade."
These remarks of Captain Marston, intended to counteract what had been
said by Afton, and to satisfy the crew with regard to the reservation
made by Coe, were well-timed, and their new comrade was welcomed with
loud cheers.
The company of marines was at once formed, and "Captain" Coe, as they
called him, immediately commenced the performance of his new office, by
taking his men through such a preparatory drill as the short remaining
time of daylight would allow. It was his determination to make himself
as popular as he could among those who were placed under his command,
with the view of using his influence for such good purposes as might
hereafter present themselves. He was eminently successful in his
endeavours to obtain popularity, his men already entertaining great
admiration of his courage and resolute demeanour.
The _Sea-bird_ continued for some days to run a southerly course,
impelled by a moderate breeze from the west. Her prow was then turned
towards the south-east, it being the intention of Captain Marston to get
into the track of vessels trading between the West Indies and the
Spanish Main, and the different European ports. While on this course
certain changes were made in the appearance of the brig. The white
stripe along her bends, just below the guards, was covered with a strip
of black canvas; like strips, on which were painted the words the
_Falcon_, were placed on each of her bows, and on her stern, over the
name the _Sea-bird_, and the carved image of one bird was substituted
for that of another as her figure-head. Other alterations were made in
her rigging and elsewhere, so that the vessel's appearance was almost
entirely changed.