The next question was, what should be done with them?
They had been so often mutinous, and were so very furious, so desperate, and so idle withal, they knew not what course to take with them, for they were mischievous to the highest degree, and cared not what hurt they did to any man; so that, in short, it was not safe to live with them.
The Spaniard who was governor told them, in so many words, that if they had been of his own country he would have hanged them; for all laws and all governors were to preserve society, and those who were dangerous to the society ought to be expelled out of it; but as they were Englishmen, and that it was to the generous kindness of an Englishman that they all owed their preservation and deliverance, he would use them with all possible lenity, and would leave them to the judgment of the other two Englishmen, who were their countrymen.

One of the two honest Englishmen stood up, and said they desired it might not be left to them.

"For," says he, "I am sure we ought to sentence them to the gallows;" and with that he gives an account how Will Atkins, one of the three, had proposed to have all the five Englishmen join together and murder all the Spaniards when they were in their sleep.
When the Spanish governor heard this, he calls to Will Atkins, "How, Seignior Atkins, would you murder us all?
What have you to say to that ?" The hardened villain was so far from denying it, that he said it was true, and swore they would do it still before they had done with them.
"Well, but Seignior Atkins," says the Spaniard, "what have we done to you that you will kill us?
What would you get by killing us?
And what must we do to prevent you killing us?
Must we kill you, or you kill us?
Why will you put us to the necessity of this, Seignior Atkins ?" says the Spaniard very calmly, and smiling.

Seignior Atkins was in such a rage at the Spaniard's making a jest of it, that, had he not been held by three men, and withal had no weapon near him, it was thought he would have attempted to kill the Spaniard in the middle of all the company.

This hare-brained carriage obliged them to consider seriously what was to be done.