Kate Bonnet: The Romance of a Pirate's Daughter

by Frank Richard Stockton

  CHAPTER XVIII

  I HAVE NO RIGHT; I AM A PIRATE

  As has been made plain, Captain Bonnet of the Revenge was a punctiliousman when the rules of society were concerned, be that society official,high-toned, or piratical. Thus it was a positive duty, in his mind, toreturn Blackbeard's visit on the next day, but until afternoon he wasnot able to do so on account of the difficulty of getting a sober anddecently behaved boat's crew who should row him over.

  Black Paul, the sailing-master, had returned to his vessel early in themorning, feeling the necessity of keeping watch over the cargo, but mostof the men came over much later, while some of them did not come at all.

  Bonnet was greatly inclined to punish with an unwonted severity thisbreach of rules, but Black Paul assured him that it was always thecustom for the crew of a newly arrived vessel to go ashore and have agood time, and that if they were denied this privilege they would besure to mutiny, and he might be left without any crew at all. Bonnetgrumbled and swore, but, as he was aware there were several thingsconcerning a nautical life with which he was not familiar, he determinedto let pass this trespass.

  Dressed in his finest clothes, and even better than the day before, hewas followed into the boat by Ben Greenway, who vowed his captain shouldnever travel without his chaplain, who, if his words were considered,would be the most valuable officer on the vessel.

  "Come, then, Greenway," said Bonnet; "you have troubled me so much on myown vessel that now, perchance, you may be able to do me some service onthat of another. Anyway, I should like to have at least one decentperson in my train, who, an you come not, will be wholly missing. AndDickory may come too, if he like it."

  But Dickory did not like it. He hated the big black pirate, and carednot if he should never see him again, so he stayed behind.

  When Bonnet mounted to the deck of Blackbeard's vessel he found there avery different pirate captain from the one who had called upon him theday before. There were no tails to the great black beard, there were fewpistols visible, and Captain Bonnet's host received him with a certainsalt-soaked, sun-browned, hairy, and brawny hospitality which did notsit badly upon him. There was meat, there was drink, and then the twocaptains and Greenway walked gravely over the vessel, followed by ahundred eyes, and before long by many a coarse and jeering laugh whichBonnet supposed were directed at sturdy Ben Greenway, deeming it quitenatural, though improper, that the derision of these rough fellowsshould be excited by the appearance among them of a prim and sedateScotch Presbyterian.

  But that crew of miscreants had all heard of the derisive title whichhad been given to Bonnet, and now they saw without the slightestdifficulty how little he knew of the various nautical points to whichBlackbeard continually called his attention.

  The vessel was dirty, it was ill-appointed; there was an air of recklessdisorder which showed itself everywhere; but, apart from his evidentdistaste for dirt and griminess, the captain of the Revenge seemed to bevery well satisfied with everything he saw. When he passed a small gunpointed across the deck, and with a nightcap hung upon a capstan barthrust into its muzzle, there was such a great laugh that Bonnet lookedaround to see what the imprudent Greenway might be doing.

  Many were the nautical points to which Blackbeard called his guest'sattention and many the questions the grim pirate asked, but in almostall cases of the kind the tall gentleman with the cocked hat repliedthat he generally left those things to his sailing-master, being somuch occupied with matters of more import.

  Although he found no fault and made no criticisms, Bonnet was very muchdisgusted. Such a disorderly vessel, such an apparently lawless crew,excited his most severe mental strictures; and, although the greatBlackbeard was to-day a very well-behaved person, Bonnet could notunderstand how a famous and successful captain should permit his vesseland his crew to get into such an unseamanlike and disgraceful condition.On board the Revenge, as his sailing-master had remarked, there was theneatness of his kitchen and his store-houses; and, although he did notalways know what to do with the nautical appliances which surroundedhim, he knew how to make them look in good order. But he made fewremarks, favourable or otherwise, and held himself loftier than before,with an air as if he might have been an admiral entire instead ofresembling one only in clothes, and with ceremonious and evencondescending politeness followed his host wherever he was led, abovedecks or below.

  Ben Greenway had gone with his master about the ship with much of theair of one who accompanies a good friend to the place of execution.Regardless of gibes or insults, whether they were directed at Bonnet orhimself, he turned his face neither to the right nor to the left, andapparently regarded nothing that he heard. But while endeavouring tolisten as little as possible to what was going on around him, he heard agreat deal; but, strange to say, the railing and scurrility of thepirates did not appear to have a depressing influence upon his mind. Infact, he seemed in somewhat better spirits than when he came on board.

  "Whatever he may do, whatever he may say, an' whatever he may swear,"said the Scotchman to himself, "he is no' like ane of these. Try as hemay, he canna descend so low into the blackness o' evil as these sons o'perdition. Although he has done evil beyond a poor mortal's computation,he walks like a king amang them. Even that Blackbeard, striving to bedecent for an hour or two, knows a superior when he meets him."

  When they had finished the tour of the vessel, Blackbeard conducted hisguest to his own cabin and invited him to be seated by a little table.Bonnet sat down, placing his high-plumed cocked hat upon the benchbeside him. He did not want anything more to eat or to drink, and hewas, in fact, quite ready to take his leave. The vessel had not pleasedhim and had given him an idea of the true pirate's life which he hadnever had before. On the Revenge he mingled little with the crew,scarcely ever below decks, and his own quarters were as neat andcommodious as if they were on a fine vessel carrying distinguishedpassengers. Dirt and disorder, if they existed, were at least notvisible to him.

  But, although he had no desire ever to make another visit to the ship ofthe great Blackbeard, he would remember his position and be polite andconsiderate now that he was here. Moreover, the savage desperado of theday before, dressed like a monkey and howling like an Indian, seemed nowto be endeavouring to soften himself a little and to lay aside some ofhis savage eccentricities in honour of the captain of that fine ship,the Revenge. So, clothed in a calm dignity, Bonnet waited to hear whathis host had further to say.

  Blackbeard seated himself on the other side of the table, on which herested his massive arms. Behind him Ben Greenway stood in the doorway.For a few moments Blackbeard sat and gazed at Bonnet, and then he said:"Look ye, Stede Bonnet, do you know you are now as much out of place asa red herring would be at the top of the mainmast?"

  Bonnet flushed. "I fear, Captain Blackbeard," he said, "I very much fearme that you are right; this is no place for me. I have paid my respectsto you, and now, if you please, I will take my leave. I have not beengratified by the conduct of your crew, but I did not expect that theircaptain would address me in such discourteous words." And with this hereached out his hand for his hat.

  Blackbeard brought down his hand heavily upon the table.

  "Sit where you are!" he exclaimed. "I have that to say to you which youshall hear whether you like my vessel, my crew, or me. You are nosailor, Stede Bonnet of Bridgetown, and you don't belong to the freecompanions, who are all good men and true and can sail the ships theycommand. You are a defrauder and a cheat; you are nothing but alandsman, a plough-tail sugar-planter!"

  At this insult Bonnet rose to his feet and his hand went to his sword.

  "Sit down!" roared Blackbeard; "an you do not listen to me, I'll cut offthis parley and your head together. Sit down, sir."

  Bonnet sat down, pale now and trembling with rage. He was not a coward,but on board this ship he must give heed to the words of the desperadowho commanded it.

  "You have no right," continued Blackbeard, "to strut about on thequarter-deck of that fine vesse
l, the Revenge; you have no right tohoist above you the Jolly Roger, and you have no right to lie right andleft and tell people you are a pirate. A pirate, forsooth! you are nopirate. A pirate is a sailor, and you are no sailor! You are no betterthan a blind man led by a dog: if the dog breaks away from him he islost, and if the sailing-masters you pick up one after another breakaway from you, you are lost. It is a cursed shame, Stede Bonnet, and itshall be no longer. At this moment, by my own right and for the sake ofevery man who sails under the Jolly Roger, I take away from you thecommand of the Revenge."

  Now Bonnet could not refrain from springing to his feet. "Take from methe Revenge!" he cried, "my own vessel, bought with my own money! Andhow say you I am not a pirate? From Massachusetts down the coast intothese very waters I have preyed upon commerce, I have taken prizes, Ihave burned ships, I have made my name a terror."

  Now his voice grew stronger and his tones more angry.

  "Not a pirate!" he cried. "Go ask the galleons and the merchantmen Ihave stripped and burned; go ask their crews, now wandering in miseryupon desert shores, if they be not already dead. And by what right, Iask, do you come to such an one as I am and declare that, having put mein the position of a prisoner on your ship, you will take away my own?"

  Blackbeard gazed at him with half-closed eyes, a malicious smile uponhis face.

  "I have no right," he said; "I need no right; _I_ am a pirate!"

  At these words Bonnet's legs weakened under him, and he sank down uponthe bench. As he did so he glanced at Ben Greenway as if he were theonly person on earth to whom he could look for help, but to hisamazement he saw before him a face almost jubilant, and beheld theScotchman, his eyes uplifted and his hands clasped as if in thankfulprayer.