Part 3 (1/2)
”Oh, it's you is it, Byrne?” he said in a not unpleasant tone ”Come tohe wheeled about and retraced his way below, the seaman at his heels
”My man,” said Theriere, once the tere behind the closed door of the officer's cabin, ”I needn't ask how much you overheard of the conversation in the captain's cabin If you hadn't overheard a great deal more than you should you wouldn't have been so keen to escape detection just now What I wanted to say to you is this Keep a close tongue in your head and stick byto happen in the next few days This bunch,” he jerked his thu their necks for halters, an' I for one don't intend to poke
There's ht, and handled without too et out of it if that man Divine has to be counted in I've a plan of my own, an' it won't take but three or four of us to put it across
”You don't like Ward,” he continued, ”and you hts over love of you If you stick to that bunch Ward will do you out of your share as sure as you are a foot high, an' the chances are that he'll do you out of a whole lot hty poor life insurance risk right noith a life expectancy that's pretty nearas Bender Ward is on the same shi+p with you Do you understand what I mean?”
”Aw,” said Billy Byrne, ”I ain't afraid o' that stiff Let him make any funny crack at me an' I'll cave in a handful of slats for hiht too, Byrne,” said Theriere ”Of course you can do it if anybody can, provided you get the chance; but Ward isn't thenecessary within the next day or so, and there's nothing to prevent Ward letting you have it in the back, purely by accident; and if he don't do it then there'll be all kinds of opportunities for it before any of us ever see a white et you, Byrne, he's that kind
”Noith my proposition you'll be shut of Ward, Skipper Simms, and Divine There'll be o around expecting a bullet in the sao back to Skipper Si?”
”Oh, I'ame,” said Billy Byrne, ”if you'll promise me a square deal on the divvy”
The Frenchman extended his hand
”Let's shake on it,” he said
Billy took the proffered palo,” he said; ”but hadn't you better wise me to wot's doin'?”
”Not now,” said Theriere, ”soht overhear just as you did Wait a bit until I have a better opportunity, and I'll tell you all there is to know In the meantime think over who'd be the best men to let into this with us--we'll need three or four o on deck about your duties as though nothing had happened, and if I'her than usual with you you'll understand that it's to avert any possible suspicion later”
”I'm next,” said Billy Byrne
CHAPTER IV PIRACY
BY DUSK the tri away toward the west before a wind that could not have suited her better had it been made to order at the special behest of the devil himself to speed his minions upon their devil's work
All hands were in the best of hu been permitted shore leave at Honolulu in the expectancy of adventure in the near future, for there was that in the atmosphere of the Halfmoon which proclaioal tohich they had been sailing since they left San Francisco
Skipper Siht them to Honolulu in the nick of time, and at the success of Theriere's ured upon a week at least there before the second officer of the Halfoodwill of the Hardings to learn their plans, and now they were congratulating theent as the Frenchman for the work he had handled so expeditiously and so well
Ward was pleased that he had not been forced to prolong the galling masquerade of valet to his inferior officer He was hopeful, too, that co to the fore an opportunity to satisfy the vengeance he had inwardly sworn against the sailor who had so roughly manhandled him a feeeks past--Theriere had not been in error in his estimate of his fellow-officer
Billy Byrne, the arduous labor of ies to the task of piecing out from what Theriere had told him and what he had overheard outside the skipper's cabin some sort of explanation of the work ahead
As he pondered Theriere's proposition he saw the wisdoer amount of the booty for their share
Another feature of it was that it was underhanded and that appealed strongly to the mucker Now, if he could but devise so Theriere the pleasure and profit of the adventure would be tripled
It was this proposition that was occupying his attention when he caught sight of ”Bony” Sawyer and ”Red” Sanders e from the forecastle