Treachery had evidently met treachery, and Death had his hands full.
From the shouting aboard the other ship I felt sure they were Frenchmen, and glad as I was at thought of these ruffians getting paid in their own coin, and fit as it might be to meet cunning with cunning, I was yet glad that the payment was French and not English.
Of the first issue, however, I had small doubts in view of Torode's long guns and merciless methods, and though I could see nothing, with our own experiences red in my mind, I could still follow what happened.
The schooner sheared off, and presently the long guns got to work with their barbarous shot, and pounded away venomously, till I could well imagine what the state of that other ship must be.
When we ranged alongside again, no word greeted us.

There was traffic between the two ships, and when we cast off I heard the crackling of flames.
Then there was much sluicing of water above my head, as our decks were washed down, and presently there came a rattling of boards which puzzled me much, until the end of one dipped suddenly across my porthole, and my straining wits suggested that Torode was changing his stripes and becoming a Frenchman once more.
The next day passed without any happening, and I lay racking my brain for reasons why one spot of sea should not be as good as another for dropping a man's body into.
But on the day after that, Torode came suddenly in on me in the afternoon, and looking down on me as I lay, he said roughly-- "Listen, you, Carre! By every reason possible you should die, but--well, I am going to give you chance of life.

It is only a chance, but your death will not lie at my door, as it would do here.

Now here is my last word.

You know more than is good for me.