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been a dear and long lost friend. The sailor ignored the proffered hand, nor did
he return the other's smile.
"I've come to help you," explained Paulvitch. "I'm going to help you get rid of the
Englishman and his beasts--then there will be no danger from the law when we
get back to civilization. We can sneak in on them while they sleep--that is
Greystoke, his wife, and that black scoundrel, Mugambi. Afterward it will be a
simple matter to clean up the beasts. Where are they?"
"
They're below," replied the sailor; "but just let me tell you something, Paulvitch.
You haven't got no more show to turn us men against the Englishman than
nothing. We had all we wanted of you and that other beast. He's dead, an' if I
don't miss my guess a whole lot you'll be dead too before long. You two treated
us like dogs, and if you think we got any love for you you better forget it."
"
You mean to say that you're going to turn against me?" demanded Paulvitch.
The other nodded, and then after a momentary pause, during which an idea
seemed to have occurred to him, he spoke again.
"Unless," he said, "you can make it worth my while to let you go before the
Englishman finds you here."
"You wouldn't turn me away in the jungle, would you?" asked Paulvitch. "Why, I'd
die there in a week."
"You'd have a chance there," replied the sailor. "Here, you wouldn't have no
chance. Why, if I woke up my maties here they'd probably cut your heart out of
you before the Englishman got a chance at you at all. It's mighty lucky for you
that I'm the one to be awake now and not none of the others."
"You're crazy," cried Paulvitch. "Don't you know that the Englishman will have
you all hanged when he gets you back where the law can get hold of you?"
"No, he won't do nothing of the kind," replied the sailor. "He's told us as much,
for he says that there wasn't nobody to blame but you and Rokoff--the rest of us
was just tools. See?"
For half an hour the Russian pleaded or threatened as the mood seized him.
Sometimes he was upon the verge of tears, and again he was promising his
listener either fabulous rewards or condign punishment; but the other was
obdurate. [condign: of equal value]
He made it plain to the Russian that there were but two plans open to him--either
he must consent to being turned over immediately to Lord Greystoke, or he must
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