"Yes. What I'm afraid of is that he may hit the Doctor on the
head when he's not looking and make himself captain of the
Curlew. Bad sailors do that sometimes. Then they run the ship
their own way and take it where they want. That's what you call a
mutiny."
"Yes," said Jip, "and we ought to do something pretty quick. We
can't reach the Capa Blancas before the day after to-morrow at
best. I don't like to leave the Doctor alone with him for a
minute. He smells like a very bad man to me."
"Well, I've got it all worked out," said Polynesia. "Listen: is
there a key in that door?"
We looked outside the dining-room and found that there was.
"All right," said Polynesia. "Now Bumpo lays the table for lunch
and we all go and hide. Then at twelve o'clock Bumpo rings the
dinner-bell down here. As soon as Ben hears it he'll come down
expecting more salt beef. Bumpo must hide behind the door
outside. The moment that Ben is seated at the dining-table Bumpo
slams the door and locks it. Then we've got him. See?"
"How stratagenious!" Bumpo chuckled. "As Cicero said, parrots
cum parishioners facilime congregation. I'll lay the table at
once."
"Yes and take that Worcestershire sauce off the dresser with you
when you go out," said Polynesia. "Don't leave any loose
eatables around. That fellow has had enough to last any man for
three days. Besides, he won't be so inclined to start a fight
when we put him ashore at the Capa Blancas if we thin him down a
bit before we let him out."
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