Kate Bonnet: The Romance of a Pirate's Daughter

by Frank Richard Stockton

  CHAPTER VIII

  BEN GREENWAY IS CONVINCED THAT BONNET IS A PIRATE

  "But how in the name o' common sense did ye ever think o' becomin' apirate, Master Bonnet?" said Ben Greenway as they stood together. "Ye'reso little fitted for a wicked life."

  "Out upon you, Ben Greenway!" exclaimed the captain, beginning to strideup and down the little quarter-deck. "I will let you know, that when thetime comes for it, I can be as wicked as anybody."

  "I doubt that," said Ben sturdily. "Would ye cut down an' murder theinnocent? Would ye drive them upon an unsteady plank an' make them walkinto the sea? Could ye raise thy great sword upon the widow an' theorphan?"

  "No more of this disloyal speech," shouted Bonnet, "or I will put youupon a wavering plank and make you walk into the sea."

  Now Greenway laughed.

  "An' if ye did," he said, "ye would next jump upon the plank yoursel'an' slide swiftly into the waves, that ye might save your old friend an'servant, knowin' he canna swim."

  "Ben Greenway," said Bonnet, folding his arms and knitting his brows, "Iwill not suffer such speech from you. I would sooner have on board aPresbyterian parson."

  "An' a happier fate couldna befall ye," said Ben, "for ye need a parsonmair than ony mon I know."

  Bonnet looked at him for a moment.

  "You think so?" said he.

  "Indeed I do," said Ben, with unction.

  "There now," cried Bonnet, "I told you, Ben, that I could be wicked uponoccasion, and now you have acknowledged it. Upon my word, I can bewickeder than common, as you shall see when good fortune helps us tooverhaul a prize."

  The Revenge had been at sea for about a week and all had gone well,except she had taken no prizes. The crew had been obedient and fairlyorderly, and if they made fun of their farmer-captain behind his back,they showed no disrespect when his eyes were upon them. The fact wasthat the most of them had a very great respect for him as the capitalistof the ship's company.

  Big Sam had early begun to sound the temper of the men, but they hadnot cared to listen to him. Good fare they had and generous treatment,and the less they thought of Bonnet as a navigator and commander, themore they thought of his promises of rich spoils to be fairly dividedwith them when they should capture a Spanish galleon or any well-ladenmerchantman bound for the marts of Europe. In fact, when such good luckshould befall them, they would greatly prefer to find themselves servingunder Bonnet than under Big Sam. The latter was known as a greedyscoundrel, who would take much and give little, being inclined,moreover, to cheat his shipmates out of even that little if the chancecame to him. Even Black Paul, who was an old comrade of Big Sam--the twohaving done much wickedness together--paid no heed to his presenttreasons.

  "Let the old fool alone," he said; "we fare well, and our lives areeasy, having three men to do the work of one. So say I, let us sail onand make merry with his good rum; his money-chest is heavy yet."

  "That's what I'm thinking of," said the sailing-master. "Why should I becoursing about here looking for prizes with that chest within reach ofmy very arm whenever I choose it?"

  Black Paul grinned and said to himself: "It is your arm, old Sam, that Iam afraid of." Then aloud: "No, let him go. Let us profit by our goodtreatment as long as it lasts, and then we will talk about themoney-box."

  Thus Big Sam found that his time had not arrived, and he swore in hissoul that his old shipmate would some day rue that he had not earlierstood by him in his treacherous schemes.

  So all went on without open discontent, and Bonnet, having sailednorthward for some days, set his course to the southeast, with somehundred and fifty eyes wide open for the sight of a heavy-sailingmerchantman.

  One morning they sighted a brig sailing southward, but as she was of nogreat size and not going in the right direction to make it probable thatshe carried a cargo worth their while, they turned westward and rantowards Cuba. Had Captain Bonnet known that his daughter was on the brigwhich he thus disdained, his mind would have been far different; but asit was, not knowing anything more than he could see, and notunderstanding much of that, he kept his westerly course, and on the nextday the lookout sighted a good-sized merchantman bearing eastward.

  Now bounded every heart upon the swiftly coursing vessel of theplanter-pirate. There were men there who had shared in the taking ofmany a prize; who had shared in the blood and the cruelty and the booty;and their brawny forms trembled with the old excitement, of thesea-chase; but no man's blood ran more swiftly, no man's eyes glaredmore fiercely, than those of Captain Bonnet as he strapped on hispistols and felt of his sword-hilt.

  "Ah, ye needna glare so!" said Ben Greenway, close at his side. "Ye areno pirate, an' ye canna make yoursel' believe ye are ane, an' that yeshall see when the guns begin to roar an' the sword-blades flash. Betterget below an' let ane o' these hairy scoundrels descend into hell inyour place."

  Captain Bonnet turned with rage upon Ben Greenway, but the latter,having spoken his mind and given his advice, had retired.

  Now came Big Sam. "'Tis an English brig," he said, "most likely fromJamaica, homeward bound; she should be a good prize."

  Bonnet winced a little at this. He would have preferred to begin hiscareer of piracy by capturing some foreign vessel, leaving Englishprizes for the future, when he should have become better used to his newemployment. But sensitiveness does not do for pirates, and in a momenthe had recovered himself and was as bold and bloody-minded as he hadbeen when he first saw the now rapidly approaching vessel. All nationswere alike to him now, and he belonged to none.

  "Fire some guns at her," he shouted to Big Sam, "and run up the JollyRoger; let the rascals see what we are."

  The rascals saw. Down came their flag, and presently their vessel wassteered into the wind and lay to.

  "Shall we board her?" cried Big Sam.

  "Ay, board her!" shouted back the infuriated Bonnet. "Run the Revengealongside, get out your grappling-irons, and let every man with swordand pistols bound upon her deck."

  The merchantman now lay without headway, gently rolling on the sea. Downcame the sails of the Revenge, while her motion grew slower and sloweras she approached her victim. Had Captain Bonnet been truly sailing theRevenge, he would have run by with sails all set, for not a thought hadhe for the management of his own vessel, so intent he was upon thecapture of the other. But fortunately Big Sam knew what was necessary tobe done in a nautical manoeuvre of this kind, and his men did not allstand ready with their swords in their hands to bound upon the deck ofthe merchantman. But there were enough of Pirate Bonnet's crew crowdedalongside the rail of the vessel to inspire terror in any peaceablemerchantman. And this one, although it had several carronades and otherguns upon her deck, showed no disposition to use them, the odds againsther being far too great.

  At the very head of the long line of ruffians upon the deck of theRevenge stood Ben Greenway; and, although he held no sword and wore nopistol, his eyes flashed as brightly as any glimmering blade in thewhole ship's company.

  The two vessels were now drawing very near to each other. Men withgrappling-irons stood ready to throw them, and the bow of thewell-steered pirate had almost touched the side of the merchantman,when, with a bound, of which no one would have considered him capable,the good Ben Greenway jumped upon the rail and sprang down upon the deckof the other vessel. This was a hazardous feat, and if the Scotchman hadknown more about nautical matters he would not have essayed it beforethe two vessels had been fastened together. Ignorance made him fearless,and he alighted in safety on the deck of the merchantman at the veryinstant when the two vessels, having touched, separated themselves fromeach other for the space of a yard or two.

  There was a general shout from the deck of the pirate at thisperformance of Ben Greenway. Nobody could understand it. Captain Bonnetstood and yelled.

  "What are you about, Ben Greenway? Have you gone mad? Without sword orpistol, you'll be--"

  The astonished Bonnet did not finish his sentence, for his power ofspeech left him w
hen he saw Ben Greenway hurry up to the captain of themerchantman, who was standing unarmed, with his crew about him, andwarmly shake that dumfounded skipper by the hand. In their surprise atwhat they beheld the pirates had not thrown their grapnels at the propermoment, and now the two vessels had drifted still farther apart.

  Presently Ben Greenway came hurrying to the side of the merchantman,dragging its captain by the hand.

  "Master Bonnet! Master Bonnet!" he cried; "this is your old friend,Abner Marchand, o' our town; an' this is his good ship the Amanda. Iknew her when I first caught sight o' her figure-head, havin' seen it sooften at her pier at Bridgetown. An' so, now that ye know wha it is thatye hae inadvertently captured, ye may ca' off your men an' bid themsheathe their frightful cutlasses."

  At this, a roar arose from the pirates, who, having thrown some of theirgrappling-irons over the gunwale of the merchantman, were now pullinghard upon them to bring the two vessels together, and Captain Bonnetshouted back at Ben: "What are you talking about, you drivelling idiot;haven't you told Mr. Marchand that I am a pirate?"

  "Indeed I hae no'," cried Ben, "for I don't believe ye are are; atleast, no' to your friends an' neebours."

  To this Bonnet made a violent reply, but it was not heard. The twovessels had now touched and the crowd of yelling pirates had leaped uponthe deck of the Amanda. Bonnet was not far behind his men, and, swordin hand, he rushed towards the spot where stood the merchant captainwith his crew hustling together behind him. As there was no resistance,there was so far no fighting, and the pirates were tumbling over eachother in their haste to get below and find out what sort of a cargo wascarried by this easy prize.

  Captain Marchand held out his hand. "Good-day to you, friend Bonnet," hesaid. "I had hoped that you would be one of the first friends I shouldmeet when I reached port at Bridgetown, but I little thought to meet youbefore I got there."

  Bonnet was a little embarrassed by the peculiarity of the situation, buthis heart was true to his new career.

  "Friend Marchand," he said, "I see that you do not understand the stateof affairs, and Ben Greenway there should have told you the moment hemet you. I am no longer a planter of Barbadoes; I am a pirate of thesea, and the Jolly Roger floats above my ship. I belong to no nation; myhand is against all the world. You and your ship have been captured byme and my men, and your cargo is my prize. Now, what have you got onboard, where do you hail from, and whither are you bound?"

  Captain Marchand looked at him fixedly.

  "I sailed from London with a cargo of domestic goods for Kingston;thence, having disposed of most of my cargo, I am on my way toBridgetown, where I hope to sell the remainder."

  "Your goods will never reach Bridgetown," cried Bonnet; "they belong nowto my men and me."

  "What!" cried Ben Greenway, "ye speak wi'out sense or reason. Hae yeforgotten that this is Mr. Abner Marchand, your fellow-vestryman an'your senior warden? An' to him do ye talk o' takin' awa' his goods an'legal chattels?"

  Bonnet looked at Greenway with indignation and contempt.

  "Now listen to me," he yelled. "To the devil with the vestry and da--"the Scotchman's eyes and mouth were so rounded with horror that Bonnetstopped and changed his form of expression--"confound the senior warden.I am the pirate Bonnet, and regard not the Church of England."

  "Nor your friends?" interpolated Ben.

  "Nor friends nor any man," shouted Bonnet.

  "Abner Marchand, I am sorry that your vessel should be the first one tofall into my power, but that has happened, and there is no help for it.My men are below ransacking your hold for the goods and treasure it maycontain. When your cargo, or what we want of it, is safe upon my ship, Ishall burn your vessel, and you and your men must walk the plank."

  At this dreadful statement, Ben Greenway staggered backward inspeechless dismay.

  "Yes," cried Bonnet, "that shall I do, for there is naught else I cando. And then you shall see, you doubting Greenway, whether I am a pirateor no."

  To all this Captain Marchand said not a word. But at this moment awoman's scream was heard from below, and then there was another screamfrom another woman. Captain Marchand started.

  "Your men have wandered into my cabin," he exclaimed, "and they havefrightened my passengers. Shall I go and bring them up, Major Bonnet?They will be better here."

  "Ay, ay!" cried the pirate captain, surprised that there should befemale passengers on board, and Marchand, followed by Ben Greenway,disappeared below.

  "Confound women passengers," said Bonnet to himself; "that is truly abit of bad luck."

  In a few minutes Marchand was back, bringing with him a middle-aged andsomewhat pudgy woman, very pale; a younger woman of exceeding plainness,and sobbing steadfastly; and also an elderly man, evidently an invalid,and wearing a long dressing-gown.

  "These," said Captain Marchand, "are Master and Madam Ballinger anddaughter, of York in England, who have been sojourning in Jamaica forthe health of the gentleman, but are now sailing with me to Barbadoes,hoping the air of our good island may be more salubrious for the lungs."

  Captain Bonnet had never been in the habit of speaking loudly beforeladies, but he now felt that he must stand by his character.

  "You cannot have heard," he almost shouted, "that I am the pirateBonnet, and that your vessel is now my prize."

  At this the two ladies began to scream vigorously, and the form of thegentleman trembled to such a degree that his cane beat a tattoo upon thedeck.

  "Yes," continued Bonnet, "when my men have stripped this ship of itsvaluables I shall burn her to the water's edge, and, having removed youto my vessel, I shall shortly make you walk the plank."

  Here the younger lady began to stiffen herself out as if she were aboutto faint in the arms of Captain Marchand, who had suddenly seized her;but her great curiosity to hear more kept her still conscious. Mrs.Ballinger grew very red in the face.

  "That cannot be," she cried; "you may do what you please with ourbelongings and with Captain Marchand's ship, but my husband is too sicka man to walk a plank. You have not noticed, perchance, that his legsare so feeble that he could scarce mount from the cabin to the deck. Itwould be impossible for him to walk a plank; and as for my daughter andmyself, we know nothing about such a thing, and could not, out of sheerignorance."

  For a moment a shadow of perplexity fell upon Captain Bonnet's face. Hecould readily perceive that the infirm Mr. Ballinger could not walk aplank, or even mount one, unless some one went with him to assist him,and as to his wife, she was evidently a termagant; and, having sailedhis ship and floated his Jolly Roger in order to get rid of onetermagant, he was greatly annoyed at being brought thus, face to face,with another. He stood for a moment silent. The old gentleman looked asif he would like to go down to his cabin and cover up his head with hisblanket until all this commotion should be over; the daughter sobbed asshe gazed about her, taking in every point of this most novel situation;and the mother, with dilated nostrils, still glared.

  In the midst of all this varying disturbance Captain Marchand stoodquiet and unmoved, apparently paying no attention to any one except hisold neighbour and fellow-vestryman, Stede Bonnet, upon whose face hiseyes were steadily fixed.

  Ben Greenway now approached the pirate captain and led him aside.

  "Let your men make awa' wi' the cargo as they please--I doubt if it bemore than odds an' ends, for such are the goods they bring toBridgetown--an' let them cast off an' go their way, an' ye an' I willreturn to Bridgetown in the Amanda an' a' may yet be weel, this bit o'folly bein' forgotten."

  It might have been supposed that Bonnet would have retaliated upon theScotchman for thus advising him, in the very moment of triumph, to giveup his piratical career and to go home quietly to his plantation, but,instead of that, he paused for a moment's reflection.

  "Ben Greenway," said he, "there is good sense in what you say. In truth,I cannot bring myself to put to death my old friend and neighbour andhis helpless passengers. As for the ship, it will do me no more
goodburned than unburned. And there is another thing, Ben Greenway, which Iwould fain do, and it just came into my mind. I will write a letter tomy wife and one to my daughter Kate. There is much which I wish them toknow and which I have not yet been able to communicate. I will allow theAmanda to go on her way and I will send these two letters by hercaptain. They shall be ready presently, and you, Ben, stand by thesepeople and see that no harm comes to them."

  At this moment there were loud shouts and laughter from below, andCaptain Marchand came forward.

  "Friend Bonnet," he said, "your men have discovered my store of spirits;in a short time they will be drunk, and it will then be unsafe forthese, my passengers. Bid them, I pray you, to convey the liquorsaboard your ship."

  "Well said!" cried Bonnet. "I would not lose those spirits." And,stepping forward, he spoke to Big Sam, who had just appeared on deck,and ordered the casks to be conveyed on board the Revenge.

  The latter laughed, but said: "Ay, ay, sir!"

  Returning to Captain Marchand, Bonnet said: "I will now step on board myship and write some letters, which I shall ask you to take to Bridgetownwith you. I shall be ready by the time the rest of your cargo isremoved."

  "Oh, don't do that!" cried Ben; "there is surely pen an' paper here,close to your hand. Go down to Captain Marchand's cabin an' write yourletters."

  "No, no," cried Bonnet, "I have my own conveniences." And with that heleaped on board the Revenge.

  "That's a chance gone," said Ben Greenway to Captain Marchand, "a goodchance gone. If we could hae kept him on board here an' down in yourcabin, I might hae passed the word to that big miscreant, thesailing-master, to cast off an' get awa' wi' that wretched crowd. Thescoundrels will be glad to steal the ship, an' it will be the salvationo' Master Bonnet if they do it."

  "If that's the case," said Captain Marchand, "why should we resort totrickery? If his men want his ship and don't want him, why can't weseize him when he comes on board with his letters, and then let his menknow that they are free to go to the devil in any way they please? Thenwe can convey Major Bonnet to his home, to repentance, perhaps, and abetter life."

  "That's good," said Ben, "but no' to punishment. Ye an' I could testifythat his head is turned, but that, when kindness to a neebour isconcerned, his heart is all right."

  "Ay, ay," said the captain, "I could swear to that. And now we must acttogether. When I put my hand on him, you do the same, and give him nochance to use his sword or pistols."

  The captain of the pirates sat down in his well-furnished little room towrite his letters, and the noise and confusion on deck, the swearing andthe singing and the shouting to be heard everywhere, did not seem todisturb him in the least. He was a man whose mind could thoroughlyengage itself with but one thing at a time, and the fact that his menwere at work sacking the merchantman did not in the least divert histhoughts from his pen and paper.

  So he quietly wrote to his wife that he had embraced a pirate's life,that he never expected to become a planter again, and that he left toher the enjoyment and management of his estate in Barbadoes. He hopedthat, his absence having now relieved her of her principal reason fordiscontent with her lot, she would become happy and satisfied, andwould allow those about her to be the same. He expected to send BenGreenway back to her to help take care of her affairs, but if she shouldneed further advice he advised her to speak to Master Newcombe.

  The letter to his daughter was different; it was very affectionate. Heassured her of his sorrow at not being able to take her with him and toleave her at Jamaica, and he urged her at the earliest possible momentto go to her uncle and to remain there until she heard from him or sawhim--the latter being probable, as he intended to visit Jamaica as soonas he could, even in disguise if this method were necessary. He alludedto the glorious career upon which he was entering, and in which heexpected some day to make a great name for himself, of which he hopedshe would be proud.

  When these letters were finished Bonnet hurried to the side of thevessel and looked upon the deck of the Amanda.

  Captain Marchand and Greenway had been waiting in anxious expectationfor the return of Bonnet, and wondering how in the world a man couldbring his mind to write letters at such a time as this.

  "Take these letters, Ben," he said, leaning over the rail, "and givethem to Captain Marchand."

  Ben Greenway at first declined to take the letters which Bonnet held outto him, but the latter now threw them at his feet on the deck, and,running forward, he soon found himself in a violent and disorderlycrowd, who did not seem to regard him at all; booty and drink were allthey cared for. Presently came Big Sam, giving orders and thrusting themen before him. He had not been drinking, and was in full possession ofhis crafty senses.

  "Throw off the grapnels," exclaimed Big Sam, "and get up the foresel!"And then he perceived Bonnet. With a scowl upon his face Big Sammuttered: "I thought you were on the merchantman, but no matter. Shoveher off, I say, or I'll break your heads."

  The grapnels were loosened; the few men who were on duty shoveddesperately; the foresail went up, and the two vessels began toseparate. But they were not a foot apart when, with a great rush andscramble, Ben Greenway left the merchantman and tumbled himself on boardthe Revenge.

  Bonnet rushed up to him. "You scoundrel! You rascal, Ben Greenway, whatdo you mean? I intended you to go back to Bridgetown on that brig. Can Inever get rid of you?"

  "No' till ye give up piratin'," said Ben with a grin. "Ye may split openmy head, an' throw overboard my corpse, but my live body stays here aslong as ye do."

  With a savage growl Bonnet turned away from his faithful adherent.Things were getting very serious now and he could waste no time onpersonal quarrels. Great holes and splits had been discovered in theheads of the barrels of spirits, and the precious liquor was runningover the decks. This was the work of the sagacious Big Sam, who had thestrongest desire to get away from the Amanda before the pirate crewbecame so drunk that they could not manage the vessel. He was a deepman, that Big Sam, and at this moment, although he said nothing aboutit, he considered himself the captain of the pirate ship which hesailed.

  For a time Bonnet hurried about, not knowing what to do. Some of the menwere quarrelling about the booty; others trying to catch the rum as itflowed from the barrels; others howling out of pure devilishness, and noone paying him any respect whatever. Big Sam was giving orders; a fewsober men were obeying him, and Captain Stede Bonnet, with his faithfulservant, Ben Greenway, seemed to be entirely out of place amid thishorrible tumult.

  "I told ye," said Ben, "ye had better stayed on board that merchantmanan' gone back like a Christian to your ain hame an' family. It will beno safe place for ye, or for me neither, when that black-heartedscoundrel o' a Big Sam gets time to attend to ye."

  "Black-hearted?" inquired Bonnet, but without any surprise in his voice.

  "Ay," said Ben, "if there's onything blacker than his heart, only Satanhimsel' ever looked at it. It was to be sailin' this ship on his ownaccount that he's had in his villainous soul ever since he came onboard; an' I can tell ye, Master Bonnet, that it won't be long nowbefore he's doin' it. I had me eye on him when he was on board theAmanda, an' I saw that the scoundrel was goin' to separate the ships."

  "That was my will," said Bonnet, "although I did not order it."

  Ben gave a little grunt. "Ay," said he, "hopin' to leave me behind justas he was hopin' to leave ye behind. But neither o' ye got your wills,an' it'll be the de'il that'll have a hand in the next leavin' behindthat's likely to be done."

  Bonnet made no reply to these remarks, having suddenly spied Black Paul.

  "Look here," said he, stepping up to that sombre-hued personage, "canyou sail a ship?"

  The other looked at Bonnet in astonishment. "I should say so," said he."I have commanded vessels before now."

  "Here then," said Bonnet, "I want a sailing-master. I am not satisfiedwith this Big Sam. I am no navigator myself, but I want a better manthan that fellow to sail my ship for me."
r />   Black Paul looked hard at him but made no answer.

  "He thinks he is sailing the ship for himself," said Bonnet, "and itwould be a bad day for you men if he did."

  "That indeed would it," said Black Paul; "a close-fisted scoundrel, as Iknow him to be."

  "Quick then," said Bonnet; "now you're my sailing-master; and afterthis, when we divide the prizes, you take the same share that I do. Asto these goods from the Amanda, I will have no part at all; I give themall to you and the rest, divided according to rule.

  "Go you now among the men, and speak first to such as have taken theleast liquor; let them know that it was Big Sam that broke in thehogsheads, which, but for that, would have been sold and divided. Goquickly and get about you a half-dozen good fellows."

  "Ye're gettin' wickeder and wickeder," said Ben when Black Paul hadhurried away; "the de'il himsel' couldna hae taught ye a craftier trickthan that. Weel ye kenned that that black fellow would fain serve undera free-handed fool than a stingy knave. Ay, sir, your education'sprogressin'!"

  At this moment Big Sam came hurrying by. Not wishing to excitesuspicion, Bonnet addressed him a question, but instead of answering theburly pirate swore at him. "I'll attend to your business," said he, "assoon as I have my sails set; then I'll give you two leather-headedlandsmen all the hoisting and lowering you'll ever ask for." Then withanother explosion of oaths he passed on.

  Bonnet and Ben stood waiting with much impatience and anxiety, butpresently came Black Paul with a party of brawny pirates following him.

  "Come now," said Bonnet, walking boldly aft towards Big Sam, who wasstill cursing and swearing right and left. Bonnet stepped up to him andtouched him on the arm. "Look ye," said he, "you're no longersailing-master on this ship; I don't like your ways or your fashions.Step forward, then, and go to the fo'castle where you belong; this goodmariner," pointing to Black Paul, "will take your place and sail theRevenge."

  Big Sam turned and stood astounded, staring at Bonnet. He spoke no word,but his face grew dark and his great eyebrows were drawn together. Hismouth was half open, as if he were about to yell or swear. Then suddenlyhis right hand fell upon the hilt of his cutlass, and the great bladeflashed in the air. He gave one bound towards Bonnet, and in the samesecond the cutlass came down like a stroke of lightning. But Bonnet hadbeen a soldier and had learned how to use his sword; the cutlass wascaught on his quick blade and turned aside. At this moment Black Paulsprung at Big Sam and seized him by the sword arm, while another fellow,taking his cue, grabbed him by the shoulder.

  "Now some of you fellows," shouted Bonnet, "seize him by the legs andheave him overboard!"

  This order was obeyed almost as soon as it was given; four burlypirates rushed Big Sam to the bulwarks, and with a great heavesent him headforemost over the rail. In the next instant he haddisappeared--gone, passed out of human sight or knowledge.

  "Now then, Mr. Paul--not knowing your other name--"

  "Which it is Bittern," said the other.

  "You are now sailing-master of this ship; and when things arestraightened out a bit you can come below and sign articles with me."

  "Ay, ay, sir," said Black Paul, and calling to the men he gave ordersthat they go on with the setting of the main-topsail.

  "Now, truly," said Ben, "I believe that ye're a pirate."

  Bonnet looked at him much pleased. "I told you so, my good Ben. I knewthat the time would come when you would acknowledge that I am a truepirate; after this, you cannot doubt it any more."

  "Never again, Master Bonnet," said Ben Greenway, gravely shaking hishead, "never again!"

  * * * * *

  The brig Amanda, with full sails and an empty hold, bent her courseeastward to the island of Barbadoes, and the next morning, when thedrunken sailors on board the Revenge were able to look about them andconsider things, they found their vessel speeding towards the coast ofCuba, and sailed by Black Paul Bittern.