“That is quite understood,” the captain said.  “That is a mere matter of business.  You try to escape if you can; I shoot you if I catch you at it.  But I do not think you are likely to succeed.  But in justice to my employers and friends I should not be justified in running even that slight risk unless convinced that if you succeed you will keep silence as to this.  Now, what oath will you take?”

“No oath can be more binding to me than my promise, sir; but at the same time I swear upon my word of honor that I will never give any information or hint that will lead any one to the discovery of this harbor.”

“That will do,” the captain said.  “I have liked your face from the moment you came on board, and feel that I can trust your word.”

“I am sure you can do that, captain,” Jacques put in; “from what I have seen of the boy I am certain he will keep the promise he has made.”

“Very well then,” the captain said; “that is settled.  You can go on shore in the next boat, and I shall advise you to take the opportunity, for I warn you that you will not get the chance of rambling on shore again until we return here next time.  You need not come on board before to-morrow morning.”

Half an hour later Ralph went ashore with the last batch of sailors.  He soon found that a general license had been granted.  A barrel of rum and several casks of wine had been broached, and the men were evidently bent upon making up for the spell of severe discipline that they had lately gone through.

Jacques Clery had gone ashore in the same boat with Ralph.

“What are you going to do, lad?”

“I am going for a walk,” Ralph said.  “In the first place everything is new to me and I want to see the vegetation; and in the second place I can see that in a very short time most of the hands will be drunk, and I dare say quarrelsome, and I don’t want either to drink or quarrel.  I think I am better away from them.”

“You are right boy, and I don’t care if I go too.  We will take a drink of wine before we start and fill up our pockets with those biscuits.  I will get the storekeeper to give us a bottle of wine to take with us, and then we shall be set up for the day.  This is my first voyage in these parts; but I have heard from others of their doings, and don’t care about getting a stab with a knife in a drunken brawl.  I can do my share of fighting when fighting has got to be done, but I do not care for rows of this sort.  Still I know the men look forward to what you call a spree on shore, and the captain might find it difficult to preserve discipline if he did not let them have their fling occasionally.”