CHAPTER VII.
It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set athief to catch a thief. Whether it was from a belief in this principleof nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business itwould be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer madehimself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongsthis neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon theweak. Oh! the trouble the man had! Big fellows pitching into littleones, to get either their marbles or apples! Then he not only had tokeep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them offhis own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him asnaked as the desert is of vegetation. The rascals!
During the time that the Buccaneer was thus doing policeman's duty hewas generally pretty well employed, for there was always a row onsomewhere; either some hen-roost being robbed, or some pot-house brawlto be quelled, so that all things considered he was not doing a goodbusiness. Indeed, he was getting for his trouble little more than hardblows, more kicks than half-pence, in fact.
After a while he determined to give the policeman's duty up; finding nodoubt that it did not pay; and he was very much too sensible to conductbusiness upon such terms for any length of time. So he allowed people tomind their own business as far as they could, while he paid moreattention to his own. Of course this state of things was not broughtabout all at once, for the force of custom is great, and for the life ofhim, the Buccaneer could not refrain from having an occasional finger inthe pie.
The Buccaneer now doffed his pirate's dress, which, though picturesque,was not altogether respectable. People will have prejudices, and ifthey see a man constantly going about with a brace of pistols in hisbelt, and a cutlass by his side, they will think that that man is up tono good; so he hung these weapons up, quite handy, for there was noknowing when he might want them to keep off robbers either by sea orland.
But, gentle reader, do not for a moment imagine that the old man wasdead--not a bit of of it. Beneath the peaceful dress he now assumedthere still beat the old heart. You may cover the lion with the skin ofan ass but you cannot change the nature of the beast. Our friend was asready as ever to tread upon his neighbours' toes, and to fight withanybody who trod upon his. Then the peaceful stillness of his shoreswould be broken by the clack, clack of his many windlasses, and the "yoheave-ho" of his merry men. Up would go his sails, out would go hisguns, poking their black, angry-looking snouts through the port-holes,as if they sniffed the enemy in the offing. Away went the Buccaneer forthe main. His priests prayed; his merry seamen swore, and his women andchildren cried, as it was their duty to do, upon all such important andinteresting occasions.
The Life of a Celebrated Buccaneer Page 7