The first of these pirates who lays a hand on me----" "Do not excite yourself, Ned," I said to the harpooner, "and do not compromise us by useless violence.

Who knows that they will not listen to us?
Let us rather try to find out where we are." I groped about.

In five steps I came to an iron wall, made of plates bolted together.

Then turning back I struck against a wooden table, near which were ranged several stools.

The boards of this prison were concealed under a thick mat, which deadened the noise of the feet.