child! But for long-headed tarry-Johns, that fear not fire nor water,

and that love gold as they love beef, methinks ye are not wise."

"Ay," said Tom, "now y' are trussed ye would cozen us."

"Cozen you!" repeated Dick. "Nay, if ye be fools, it would be easy. But

if ye be shrewd fellows, as I trow ye are, ye can see plainly where your

interest lies. When I took your ship from you, we were many, we were

well clad and armed; but now, bethink you a little, who mustered that

array? One incontestably that hath much gold. And if he, being already

rich, continueth to hunt after more even in the face of storms--bethink

you once more--shall there not be a treasure somewhere hidden?"

"What meaneth he?" asked one of the men.

"Why, if ye have lost an old skiff and a few jugs of vinegary wine,"

continued Dick, "forget them, for the trash they are; and do ye rather

buckle to an adventure worth the name, that shall, in twelve hours, make

or mar you for ever. But take me up from where I lie, and let us go

somewhere near at hand and talk across a flagon, for I am sore and

frozen, and my mouth is half among the snow."

He seeks but to cozen us," said Tom, contemptuously.

Cozen! cozen!" cried the third man. "I would I could see the man that

could cozen me! He were a cozener indeed! Nay, I was not born

yesterday. I can see a church when it hath a steeple on it; and for my

The Black Arrow