Eight o'clock came at last, and with it arrived Sam Barton and his band, including Tom Newcombe, who brought a splendid double-barrel shot-gun, two jointed fish-poles, a quantity of hooks and lines, and also his game chickens, all of which he offered to increase the general stock. Every thing was accepted, in spite of the objections raised by Will Atkins, who argued that not only did the book fail to mention whether or not Crusoe's gun was a double-barrel, but it was also silent on the subject of game chickens. It said nothing about fish-poles either, especially jointed ones; and to show that his objection was well founded, Atkins picked up the book, and turned to a picture which represented Robinson catching a dolphin with a hand-line. The governor listened patiently to all he had to say, but he failed to discover any reason why he should not adhere to his decision.
"Any body with half sense could see that a double-barrel gun is a handy thing to have about," said the chief. "'Spose Tommy should happen to get into a fight with two Injuns, while he was out alone on the island, hunting for goats! couldn't he easy kill 'em both? Fish-poles, too, are sometimes worth more'n they cost. Mebbe our island, when we find it, will be different from Crusoe's. Mebbe there'll be creeks on it, with sunfish an' perch in 'em; an' whoever heared of ketchin' them kind of fish with hand-lines? An' as fur them game chickens, they will be jest the things we need. We may get tired of livin' on turtle's eggs, you know."
"That makes no odds," replied the dissatisfied member. "You wouldn't take that ar watch of mine, an' I aint a goin' to let them things of Tommy's go, neither."
In short, Will Atkins stubbornly stuck out for what he believed to be his rights, and the result was, that he very soon succeeded in exhausting all the patience of the chief, who backed him into a corner, and was about to reduce him to subjection, when Tom, who did not like to see any fighting, began to beg for him. The governor hesitated a moment, undecided whether to listen to the appeals of humanity or to follow the stern mandate of duty, and then released the culprit; not, however, without solemnly promising him that the very next time he dared oppose his chief, he would certainly suffer.