"
"Suspicions concerning me?"
"Yes."
"Who suspects me?"
"One of the crew says you are a spy."
"Will you bring the man face to face with me?"
"What would you do?"
"When I meet my accuser I will tell you."
"You can save yourself the trouble."
"How?"
"By becoming one of us. I will deal fairly with you. Our
obligations are as binding as blood and oaths can make them;
but, once one of us, you'll make heaps of money, and be
companion to as jolly a set of men as ever took chances for a
good livelihood."
"I must bind myself by oaths?"
"Yes; oaths as solemn as mortal lips ever uttered."
"I can't do it now."
"Why not?"
"I must have time to consider."
"Why do you need time to consider?"
"I've a reason."
"Will you name your reason?"
"Yes, I will, captain; you have been frank with me, I will be
equally frank with you. I can't join your crew as long as one
man is a member of it. I learn that I've an enemy on board.
I never can take an obligation that would compel me to be
friendly with that man!"
"Who is the man?"
"The villain who has accused me of being a Government spy!"
"How do you know which is the man?"
"I know."
"I am sorry, Ballard, I know I am to blame. I should have
mentioned before what I am telling you, but there is no
alternative now; you must join our crew in regular form."
"Never as long as one particular man is one of them."
"Mine is an unpleasant duty, Ballard, you have got all the
points down on us, you must become one of us.
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