During the four days that it took to complete the work, Edgar boarded several of the Italian craft, and succeeded in inducing ten active young sailors to join him, by the offer of a rate of pay several times higher than that they earned in their native craft, and of a free passage back on the first opportunity. Condor was appointed to the command of the _Tigress_, as two supernumerary lieutenants and four midshipmen had been sent out from home to the _Tigre_, and two midshipmen received acting orders as his lieutenants. There was much satisfaction among the junior officers of the _Tigre_ when they heard from Wilkinson the nature of the spoil he had gathered, and all sorts of guesses were hazarded as to its value.
"I cannot help you there in the least," he said. "I know that Turkish and Eastern carpets fetch a big price at home; and of course silk, and gold and silver embroideries, are valuable; but, as I only know the contents of about a hundred bales, I have no more idea of what the total is likely to come to than you have."
"You did not get any money, Wilkinson, or jewels?"
"Neither one nor the other. I suppose that the money was divided when captured, and the jewels either given to the women or sold. They were things that might be disposed of anywhere. At any rate we found none of them, and the only cash is, as I told you, the twelve thousand five hundred pounds that the prizes fetched, out of which our share is not likely to be more than twenty or thirty pounds each. Still, that is not to be despised."
"It will come to more than that," one of the party said. "I have calculated it up, and though I have not the exact rules--"
"Well, if you haven't got the exact rules, Macleod, your calculations are not worth more than our guesses. It won't be much more than forty pounds anyhow, and I suppose a bit more than that for our share of the prizes captured here. Of course they were worth a good deal more, but then there are all the ships-of-war to share. If our prize turns out as well as I hope, it will come to a good bit more, as it is only to be divided among the _Tigre's_ crew."
"You and Blagrove are going home in the prize, are you not?"
"Yes, I carry Sir Sidney's despatches; Blagrove gets three months' leave."