"
"What did they say of him?"
"They said they believed he was a man named Ephraim Fowler, who had
murdered the skipper and mate of a coaster and then went off in the
boat."
"Is that the man? Then truly do I regret that he has escaped. I knew
both John Moore, the master, and George Monson, the mate, and many a
flagon of beer we have emptied together. If I had known the fellow's
whereabouts, I would have put the constables on his track. I am
heartily sorry now, boy, that I had a hand in carrying you off,
though maybe it is best for you that it has been so. If I hadn't
taken you someone else would, and more than likely you would not have
fared so well as you have done, for some of them would have saved
themselves all further trouble and risk, by chucking you overboard as
soon as they were well out of the Pool."
"Can't you put me ashore now, captain?"
"No, boy; I have given my word and taken my money, and I am not one
to fail to carry out a bargain because I find that I have made a bad
one. They have trusted me with thousands of pounds' worth of goods,
and I have no reason to complain of their pay, and am not going to
turn my back on them now they have got into trouble; besides, though
I would trust you not to round upon me, I would not trust them. If
you were to turn up in London they would know that I had sold them,
and Marner would soon hear of it. There is a way of getting messages
to a man even in prison. Then you may be sure that, if he said
nothing else, he would take good care to let out that I was the man
who used to carry their booty away, sometimes to quiet places on the
coast, and sometimes across to Holland, and the first time I dropped
anchor in the Pool I should find myself seized and thrown into limbo.
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