staring into a pair of beady brown eyes sunk into a yellow, fleshly
face like currants into a dumpling. He felt the colour creeping
into his face under the insult of that contemptuous inspection.
"Bah! A bag of bones. What should I do with him?"

He was turning away when Gardner interposed.

"He maybe lean, but he's tough; tough and healthy. When half of
them was sick and the other half sickening, this rogue kept his legs
and doctored his fellows. But for him there'd ha' been more deaths
than there was. Say fifteen pounds for him, Colonel. That's cheap
enough. He's tough, I tell your honour - tough and strong, though
he be lean. And he's just the man to bear the heat when it comes.
The climate'll never kill him."

There came a chuckle from Governor Steed. "You hear, Colonel.
Trust your niece. Her sex knows a man when it sees one." And he
laughed, well pleased with his wit.

But he laughed alone. A cloud of annoyance swept across the face
of the Colonel's niece, whilst the Colonel himself was too absorbed
in the consideration of this bargain to heed the Governor's humour.
He twisted his lip a little, stroking his chin with his hand the
while. Jeremy Pitt had almost ceased to breathe.

"I'll give you ten pounds for him," said the Colonel at last.

Peter Blood prayed that the offer might be rejected. For no reason
that he could have given you, he was taken with repugnance at the
thought of becoming the property of this gross animal, and in some