Towards ten o’clock, when the night watch was set, and all was quiet on the vessel, Mr. Dunn and myself were sent for to Cambiaso’s state-room. Mr. Dunn had of late always been called upon to accompany me when Cambiaso sent for me to deliver orders; my broken Spanish seeming to irritate him, and Mr. Dunn serving as interpreter to render my orders more clear to me. Cambiaso received us very cordially, asked us to be seated, and began by expressing himself very well satisfied with the skill I had shown in navigating the vessel. He was even jocose, asking me if I was a good shot with a pistol, since he had an idea of fighting a duel with me; then, pointing to a bottle of champaigne which stood on the table, he said, “That is the pistol I mean we shall exchange shots with;” and drawing the cork, he made us both drink with him. Then turning to Mr. Dunn, he said, “My good friend Sir Captain is troubled about the rascals I left at Wood’s Bay; he does not know, as you and I do, that there’s only one way to get along with such men. They are devils, and nothing is too hard for them. One must take care of himself in this world.”
Mr. Dunn told him that I had hesitated about putting out from the harbor because the night was so murky, and the navigation intricate; and that I was afraid of running the vessel on the shore. Cambiaso shook his head: “No, no; you are both of you tender-hearted as women. I suppose you would be frightened now, if you saw blood shed, but one can’t always get along without it.”
I answered that I could fight as well as another man, when I saw need for it; but that I did not like leaving the English mate and crew, nor even _his_ followers to starve, or fall into the hands of the Indians. This made him laugh heartily; but suddenly changing the subject, he asked me if I had a wife and children. “Yes,” I said, “in my own country.” “How many little ones?” he rejoined; “and I suppose you would like to see them again? Well, you must do without that for some time yet; but if you will follow my orders, you shall go home with money enough to stay with them always.”
I answered that I had obeyed his orders since I had agreed to, and that I should continue to navigate the vessel as well as I could, if that was what he wanted from me. “Yes,” replied he, when my friend had interpreted this answer to him, “Yes, yes, that is what I want of you for the present, and I promise you both that I will not give you any fighting to do; all I ask of you is to stand by, and not be frightened if you see any blood spilled.” We made no reply to this; when, after pausing a moment, and glancing at us from under his long, veiling lashes, he said, “I will make it worth your while, captain Brown, to follow me, and yours too, Sir Secretary. If you obey my orders, and land me safe at my destination, you shall go home to your wife and little ones with twenty thousand dollars, captain; and you (to Mr. Dunn,) shall have six thousand, if you interpret for me faithfully.” He rose as he said this, and pointed out of the cabin, saying as we left him, that all he wanted was that we should be true to him.