They all appear'd very penitent and begged hard for their lives. As for that, he told them they were none of his prisoners, but the commander's of the island. They thought they had set him on shore in a barren, uninhabited island. But it had pleased God so to direct them, that it was inhabited, and the governor was an Englishman. He might hang them all there, if he pleased. But as he had given them all quarter, he supposed he would send them to England, to be dealt with there as justice required, except Atkins, whom he was commanded by the governor to advise to prepare for death, for he would be hanged in the morning.
Tho’ this was all but a fiction of his own, yet it had its desired effect. Atkins fell upon his knees to beg the captain to intercede with the governor for his life. All the rest begged of him, for God's sake, that they might not be sent to England.
It now occurred to me the time of our deliverance was come, and it would be a most easy thing to bring these fellows in to be hearty in getting possession of the ship. I retired in the dark, that they might not see what kind of a governor they had, and called the captain to me. When I called, as at a good distance, one of the men was ordered to speak again, and said to Burke, "Captain, the commander calls for you."
Presently he replied, "Tell his Excellency I am just a coming." This amused them, and they all believed the commander was just by with his fifty men.
Upon Burke's coming to me, I was struck with an uneasy sense. It was part my own awareness, part that of the beast, which had lurk'd just beneath my skin while we ran and hunted these villains cross the island. It had observ'd some thing thru my eyes which bother'd it, which meant, in a word, it was a thing I had observ'd as well, tho' I knew not what it was.
Putting such reflections aside for the moment, I told Burke my project for seizing the ship, which he liked wonderfully well, and resolv’d to put it in execution the next morning.
But, in order to execute it and to be secure of success, I told him we must divide the prisoners, and he should go and take Atkins and two more of the worst of them and send them pinioned to the cave where the others lay. This was committed to Friday, Turner, and Sir Wade. They conveyed them to the cave, as to a prison. It was, indeed, a dismal place to men in their condition. The others I ordered to my bower. As it was fenced in and they pinioned, the place was secure enough, considering they were upon their behaviour.
It was at this point, as the men scatter'd upon their tasks, that I observ'd what the beast had seen which foul'd its mood. Or, in a word, what it had not seen.
The body of Slaader had vanish'd.
I spoke with the men, but none had remov'd it from the shore, and this did feed the fear many of them had felt for this island as its nature did work upon them. There were much talk of Carrib rituals and vampyre and one man spoke of the ghul, a word I had heard long, long ago from the wise men of Sallee.
When I spoke of the missing body to Friday, he was very put out, and look'd to the south west, to the dark church. "What is it, Friday?" I asked of him.
He shook his head in shame, but would not say. When I ask'd again, he raised his dark eyes to mine. "All things say O to him," said my man. And he would say no more that night.
Prisoners and hostages, taking the ship,
the beast fights death
In the morning I sent Burke to our prisoners, who was to enter into a parley with them. In a word, to try them and tell me whether he thought they might be trusted or no to go on board and surprise the ship. He talked to them of the injury done him, of the condition they were brought to, and tho’ the governor had given them quarter for their lives as to the present action, yet if they were sent to England they would all be hanged in chayns, to be sure. But if they would join in so just an attempt as to recover the ship, he would have the governor's engagement for their pardon.
Any one may guess how such a proposal would be accepted by men in their condition. They fell down on their knees to Burke and promised they would be faithful to him to the last drop, and they should owe their lives to him and would go with him all over the world. They would own him as a father as long as they lived.
"Well," said he, "I must go and tell the governor what you say, and see what I can do to bring him to consent to it." So he brought me an account of the temper he found them in, and he believed they would be faithful.
However, that we might be very secure, I told Burke he should go back again and choose out five that they might see he was not wanting for men, and tell them he would take out those five to be his assistants. The governor would keep the other two, and the three that were sent prisoners to the castle (my cave) as hostages for the fidelity of those five. If they proved unfaithful in the execution, the five hostages should be hanged in chayns alive on the shore.
This look'd severe and convinced them the governor was in earnest. However, they had no way left them but to accept it. It was now the business of the prisoners, as much as of Burke, to persuade the other five to do their duty.