For a full half a minute eyed me slowly up and down.
"Get into your boat, sir, and return to the ship at once!
Mr. Rogers, this child is impossible. I must do what I would gladly
have avoided, and ask the ladies to give me more authority over him,
since they will not exercise it themselves."
At the implied sneer--and perhaps even more at the tone of it, so
foreign to the Captain Branscome that I knew--I blazed up wrathfully.
"If you mean by that," said I, "to threaten me with the rope's-end, I
advise you to try it. And if you mean that I'm child enough to be
tied to apron-strings of a couple of women, that's just of a piece
with the whole mistake you're making. No one's disputing your right
to give orders--"
"Thank you," he put in sarcastically.
"--To those," I went on, "who appointed you captain. But I wasn't
consulted, and until that happens, I shall obey or not, as I choose."
Now, this, no doubt, was extremely childish, even wickedly foolish,
and the more foolish, perhaps, because a few minutes ago I would have
given all I possessed, including my prospective share in the
treasure, for Captain Branscome's protection. But somehow, since
sighting the island, I had lost hold of myself, and my temper seemed
to be running all askew.
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