But so soon as a
favourable opportunity offered, Thedori had looted the ship, and taken
Pedro prisoner, declaring he would hold him to ransom, until his
friends returned to Spain, from where they must send cotton, and other
goods, not procurable at the Moluccas, in order to ensure his release.
It was by this means that Thedori obtained many useful commodities of
European workmanship, the presence of which we had noticed, with
surprise, among his people. De Castro had contrived to escape his
gaolers, and having swum aboard our vessel, he now besought us to save
him from the miserable condition to which he had been reduced since his
ship had sailed, leaving him dependent upon a vague promise of release
from captivity, which he knew might never be fulfilled.
"And mark you," he said, when we had assembled the officers in the
cabin to hear his story, "Thedori will serve you as he served us, when
the time is ripe for his treachery, for he possesses many guns, hidden
away, together with a great store of ammunition, so that he could send
an army against you that you would find it impossible to resist."
We thanked Pedro for his warning, and since we determined to profit by
it, we could do no less than offer him a berth among our officers.
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