_ 21 _ a good friend, he will tell you should perform deeds in this world which will absolve you from this offence, for it will be better for you to be as bold in your determination. I am your Captain-in-Chief, to command you what the King commands me to do, and when I look for you and do not find you, that will be all; because if I had power to do more I should give you a piece of advice with which you would never again leave the King’s flag unprotected in battle. I serve His Highness in the work which is his and which you undertook to do. I will say no more about it, because I will give account of mine, and every man of his own. So saying he left the discussion; and they complained about the Captain-in-Chief thereafter because he did not take them into his confidence. The Captain-in-Chief treated them with this disregard because when he was in the company of Tristan da Cunha he never took account of him, which was right as being is Captain-in-Chief. When the Sheikh received the Captain-in-Chief’s angry reply he devised crafty answers to gain time, and on the advice of the merchants and sea-captains who were there he ordered that the boats from the ships that were taking on water should be seized so that our men would not have anything in which to land and do him harm, and then they
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