CHAPTER XIX
THE NEW FIRST LIEUTENANT
When the boat of the Revenge was pulled back to that vessel Bonnet didnot go in it; it was Blackbeard who sat in the stern and held thetiller, while one of his own men sat by him.
When Blackbeard stepped on deck he announced, much to the delight of thecrew and the consternation of Paul Bittern, that the Revenge nowbelonged to him, and that all the crew who were fit to be kept on boardsuch a fine vessel would be retained, and that he himself, for thepresent at least, would take command of the ship, would haul down thatbrand-new bit of woman's work at the masthead and fly in its place hisown black, ragged Jolly Roger, dreaded wherever seen upon the sea. Atthis a shout went up from the crew; the heart of every scoundrel amongthem swelled with joy at the idea of sailing, fighting, and pillagingunder the bloody Blackbeard.
But the sailing-master stood aghast. He had known very well what wasgoing to happen; he had talked it all over in the town with Blackbeard;he had drunk in fiery brandy to the success of the scheme, and he hadbelieved without a doubt that he was to command the Revenge when Bonnetshould be deposed. And now where was he? Where did he stand?
Trembling a little, he approached Blackbeard. "And as for me," he asked;"am I to command your old vessel?"
"You!" roared Blackbeard, making as if he would jump upon him; "you! Youmay fall to and bend your back with the others in the forecastle, or youcan jump overboard if you like. My quarter-master, Richards, nowcommands my old vessel. Presently I shall go over and settle things onthat bark, but first I shall step down into the cabin and see what raregood things Sir Nightcap, the sugar-planter, has prepared for me."
With this he went below, followed by the man he had brought with him.
It was Dickory, half dazed by what he had heard, who now stepped up toPaul Bittern. The latter, his countenance blacker than it had ever beenbefore, first scowled at him, but in a moment the ferocity left hisglance.
"Oho!" he said, "here's a pretty pickle for me and you, as well as forBonnet and the Scotchman!"
"Do you suppose," exclaimed Dickory, "that what he says is true? Thathe has stolen this ship from Captain Bonnet, and that he has taken itfor his own?"
"Suppose!" sneered the other, "I know it. He has stolen from me as wellas from Bonnet. I should have commanded this ship, and I had made all myplans to do it when I got here."
"Then you are as great a rascal," said Dickory, "as that vile piratedown below."
"Just as great," said Bittern, "the only difference being that he haswon everything while I have lost everything."
"What are we to do!" asked Dickory. "I cannot stay here, and I am sureyou will not want to. Now, while he is below, can we not slip overboardand swim ashore? I am sure I could do it."
Black Paul grinned grimly. "But where should we swim to?" he said. "Onthe coast of Honduras there is no safety for a man who flees fromBlackbeard. But keep your tongue close; he is coming."
The moment Blackbeard put his foot upon the deck he began to roar outhis general orders.
"I go over to the bark," he said, "and shall put my mate here in chargeof her. After that I go to my own vessel, and when I have settledmatters there I will return to this fine ship, where I shall strut aboutthe quarter-deck and live like a prince at sea. Now look ye, youngster,what is your name?"
"Charter," replied Dickory grimly.
"Well then, Charter," the pirate continued, "I shall leave you in chargeof this vessel until I come back, which will be before dark."
"Me!" exclaimed Dickory in amazement.
"Yes, you," said the pirate. "I am sure you don't know anything about aship any more than your master did, but he got on very well, and so mayyou. And now, remember, your head shall pay for it if everything is notthe same when I come back as it is now."
Thereupon this man of piratical business was rowed to the bark, quitesatisfied that he left behind him no one who would have the power totamper with his interests. He knew the crew, having bound most of themto him on the preceding night, and he trusted every one of them to obeythe man he had set over them and no other. As Dickory would have noorders to give, there would be no need of obedience, and Black Paulwould have no chance to interfere with anything.
* * * * *
When Bonnet had been left by Blackbeard--who, having said all he had tosay, hurried up the companion-way to attend to the rest of hisplans--the stately naval officer who had so recently occupied the benchby the table shrunk into a frightened farmer, gazing blankly at BenGreenway.
"Think you, Ben," he said in half a voice, "that this is one of thatman's jokes! I have heard that he has a fearful taste for horridjokes."
The Scotchman shook his head. "Joke! Master Bonnet," he exclaimed, "itis no joke. He has ta'en your ship from ye; he has ta'en from ye yoursword, your pistols, an' your wicked black flag, an' he has made evilimpossible to ye. He has ta'en from ye the shame an' the wretchedwickedness o' bein' a pirate. Think o' that, Master Bonnet, ye are nolonger a pirate. That most devilish o' all demons has presarved the resto' your life from the dishonour an' the infamy which ye were labourin'to heap upon it. Ye are a poor mon now, Master Bonnet; that Beelzebubwill strip from ye everything ye had, all your riches shall be his. Yecan no longer afford to be a pirate; ye will be compelled to be anhonest mon. An' I tell ye that my soul lifteth itsel' in thanksgivin'an' my heart is happier than it has been since that fearsome day when yewent on board your vessel at Bridgetown."
"Ben," said Bonnet, "it is hard and it is cruel, that in this, the timeof my great trouble, you turn upon me. I have been robbed; I have beenruined; my life is of no more use to me, and you, Ben Greenway, revileme while that I am prostrate."
"Revile!" said the Scotchman. "I glory, I rejoice! Ye hae beenconverted, ye hae been changed, ye hae been snatched from the jaws o'hell. Moreover, Master Bonnet, my soul was rejoiced even before thatmaster de'il came to set ye free from your toils. To look upon ye an'see that, although ye called yoursel' a pirate, ye were no like ane o'these black-hearted cut-throats. Ye were never as wicked, Master Bonnet,as ye said ye were!"
"You are mistaken," groaned Bonnet; "I tell you, Ben Greenway, you aremistaken; I am just as wicked as I ever was. And I was very wicked, asyou should admit, knowing what I have done. Oh, Ben, Ben! Is it truethat I shall never go on board my good ship again?"
And with this he spread his arms upon the table and laid his head uponthem. He felt as if his career was ended and his heart broken. BenGreenway said no more to comfort him, but at that moment he himself wasthe happiest man on the Caribbean Sea. He seated himself in the littledirty cabin, and his soul saw visions. He saw his master, deprived ofall his belongings, and with them of every taint of piracy, and put onshore, accompanied, of course, by his faithful servant. He saw a shipsail, perhaps soon, perhaps later, for Jamaica; he saw the blitheMistress Kate, her soul no longer sorrowing for an erring father, comeon board that vessel and sail with him for good old Bridgetown. He saweverything explained, everything forgotten. He saw before the dear oldfamily a life of happiness--perhaps he saw the funeral of MadamBonnet--and, better than all, he saw the pirate dead, the good manrevived again.
To be sure, he did not see Dickory Charter returning to his old homewith his mother, for he could not know what Blackbeard was going to dowith that young fellow; but as Dickory had thought of him when he hadescaped with Kate from the Revenge, so thought he now of Dickory. Therewere so many other important things which bore upon the situation thathe was not able even to consider the young fellow.
It did not take very long for a man of practical devilishness, such asBlackbeard was, to finish the business which had called him away, and hesoon reappeared in the cabin.
"Ho there! good Sir Nightcap--an I may freely call you that since now Iown you, uniform, cocked hat, title, and everything else--don't cryyourself to sleep like a baby when its toys are taken away from it, butwake up. I have a bit of liking for you, and I believe that that isbecause you ar
e clean. Not having that virtue myself, I admire it themore in others, and I thank you from my inmost soul--wherever that maybe--for having provided such comely quarters and such fairaccommodations for me while I shall please to sail the Revenge. But Ishall not condemn you to idleness and cankering thoughts, my boldblusterer, my terror of the sea, my harrier of the coast, my flaunter ofthe Jolly Roger washed clean in the tub with soap; I shall give youwork to do which shall better suit you than the troublesome trade you'vebeen trying to learn. You write well and read, I know that, my good SirNightcap; and, moreover, you are a fair hand at figures. I have greatwork before me in landing and selling the fine cargoes you have broughtme, and in counting and dividing the treasure you have locked in youriron-bound chests. And you shall attend to all that, my reformedcutthroat, my regenerated sea-robber. You shall have a room of your own,where you can take off that brave uniform and where you can do your workand keep your accounts and so shall be happier than you ever werebefore, feeling that you are in your right place."
To all this Stede Bonnet did not answer a word; he did not even raisehis head.
"And now for you, my chaplain," said Blackbeard, suddenly turning towardBen Greenway, "what would you like? Would it suit you better to gooverboard or to conduct prayers for my pious crew?"
"I would stay wi' my master," said the Scotchman quietly.
The pirate looked steadily at Greenway. "Oho!" said he, "you are asturdy fellow, and have a mind to speak from. Being so stiff yourself,you may be able to stiffen a little this rag of a master of yours andhelp him to understand the work he has to do, which he will bravely do,I ween, when he finds that to be my clerk is his career. Ha! ha! SirNightcap, the pirate of the pen and ink!"
Deeply sunk these words into Stede Bonnet's heart, but he made no sign.
When Blackbeard went back to the Revenge he took with him all of his owneffects which he cared for, and he also took the ex-pirate's uniform,cocked hat, and sword. "I may have use for them," he said, "and my clerkcan wear common clothes like common people."
When her new commander reached the Revenge, Dickory immediatelyapproached him and earnestly besought him that he might be sent to joinCaptain Bonnet and Ben Greenway. "They are my friends," said Dickory,"and I have none here, and I have brought a message to Captain Bonnetfrom his daughter, and it is urgently necessary that I return with onefrom him to her. I must instantly endeavour to find a ship which isbound for Jamaica and sail upon her. I have nothing to do with thisship, having come on board of her simply to carry my message, and itbehooves me that I return quickly to those who sent me, else injury maycome of it."
"I like your speech, my boy, I like your speech!" cried Blackbeard, andhe roared out a big laugh. "'Urgently necessary' you must do this, youmust do that. It is so long since I have heard such words that they cometo me like wine from a cool vault."
At this Dickory flushed hot, but he shut his mouth.
"You are a brave fellow," cried Blackbeard, "and above the common, youare above the common. There is that in your eye that could never be seenin the eye of a sugar-planter. You will make a good pirate."
"Pirate!" cried Dickory, losing all sense of prudence. "I would soonerbe a wild beast in the forest than to be a pirate!"
Blackbeard laughed loudly. "A good fellow, a brave fellow!" he cried."No man who has not the soul of a pirate within him could stand on hislegs and speak those words to me. Sail to Jamaica to carry messages togirls? Never! You shall stay with me, you shall be a pirate. You shallbe the head of all the pirates when I give up the business and take tosugar-planting. Ha! ha! When I take to sugar-planting and merrily makemy own good rum!"
Dickory was dismayed. "But, Captain Blackbeard," he said, with moredeference than before, "I cannot."
"Cannot!" shouted the pirate, "you lie, you can. Say not cannot to me;you can do anything I tell you, and do it you shall. And now I am goingto put you in your place, and see that you hold it and fill it. An ifyou please me not, you carry no more messages in this world, nor receivethem. Charter, I now make you the first officer of the Revenge under me.You cannot be mate because you know nothing of sailing a ship, andbesides no mate nor any quarter-master is worthy to array himself as Ishall array you. I make you first lieutenant, and you shall wear theuniform and the cocked hat which Sir Nightcap hath no further use for."
With that he went forward to speak to some of the men, leaving Dickorystanding speechless, with the expression of an infuriated idiot. BlackPaul stepped up to him.
"How now, youngster," said the ex-sailing-master, "first officer, eh? Ifyou look sharp, you may find yourself in fine feather."
"No, I will not," answered Dickory. "I will have nothing to do with thisblack pirate; I will not serve under him, I will not take charge ofanything for him. I am ashamed to talk with him, to be on the same shipwith him. I serve good people, the best and noblest in the world, and Iwill not enter any service under him."
"Hold ye, hold ye!" said Black Paul, "you will not serve the good peopleyou speak of by going overboard with a bullet in your head; think ofthat, youngster. It is a poor way of helping your friends by quittingthe world and leaving them in the lurch."
At this moment Blackbeard returned, and when he saw Bittern he roared athim: "Out of that, you sea-cat, and if I see you again speaking to mylieutenant, I'll slash your ears for you. In the next boat which leavesthis ship I shall send you to one of the others; I will have nosneaking schemer on board the Revenge. Get ye for'ad, get ye for'ad, orI shall help ye with my cutlass!"
And the man who had safely brought two good ships, richly laden, intothe harbour of Belize, and who had given Blackbeard the informationwhich made him understand the character of Captain Bonnet and how easyit would be to take possession of his person and his vessels, and whohad done everything in his power to enable the black-hearted pirate tosecure to himself Bonnet's property and crews, and who had only asked inreturn an actual command where before he had commanded in fact thoughnot in name, fled away from the false confederate to whom he had justgiven wealth and increased prestige.
The last words of the unfortunate Bittern sunk quickly and deeply intothe heart of Dickory. If he should really go overboard with a bullet inhis brain, farewell to Kate Bonnet, farewell to his mother! He was yet avery young man, and it had been but a little while since he had beenwandering barefooted over the ships at Bridgetown, selling the fruit ofhis mother's little farm. Since that he had loved and lived so long thathe could not calculate the period, and now he was a man and stoodtrembling at the point where he was to decide to begin life as a pirateor end everything. Before Blackbeard had turned his lowering visagefrom his retreating benefactor, Dickory had decided that, whatever mighthappen, he would not of his own free-will leave life and fair KateBonnet.
"And so you are to be my first lieutenant," said Blackbeard, his facerelaxing. "I am glad of that. There was nothing needed on this ship buta decent man. I have put one on my old vessel, and if there were anotherto be found in the Gulf of Honduras, I'd clap him on that goodly bark.Now, sir, down to your berth, and don your naval finery. You're alwaysto wear it; you're not fit to wear the clothes of a real sailor, and Ihave no landsman's toggery on this ship."
Dickory bowed--he could not speak--and went below. When next he appearedon deck he wore the ex-Captain Bonnet's uniform and the tall plumed hat.
"It is for Kate's sweet sake," he said to himself as he mounted thecompanion-way; "for her sake I'd wear anything, I'd do anything, if onlyI may see her again."
When the new first lieutenant showed himself upon the quarter-deck therewas a general howl from the crew, and peal after peal of derisivelaughter rent the air.
Then Blackbeard stepped quietly forward and ordered eight of the jeerersto be strung up and flogged.
"I would like you all to remember," said the master pirate, "that when Iappoint an officer on this ship, there is to be no sneering at him norany want of respect, and it strikes me that I shall not have to sayanything more on the subject--to this pre
cious crew, at any rate."
The next day lively times began on board the two rich prizes which thepirate Blackbeard had lately taken. There had been scarcely more hardwork and excitement, cursing and swearing when the rich freight had beentaken from the merchantmen which had originally carried it. PoorBonnet's pen worked hard at lists and calculations, for Blackbeard was apractical man, and not disposed to loose and liberal dealings witheither his men or the tradefolk ashore.
At times the troubled and harassed mind of the former captain of theRevenge would have given way under the strain had not Ben Greenwaystayed bravely by him; who, although a slow accountant, was sure, and agreat help to one who, in these times of hurry and flurry, was extremelyrapid and equally uncertain. Blackbeard was everywhere, anxious tocomplete the unloading and disposal of his goods before the weatherchanged; but, wherever he went, he remembered that upon the quarter-deckof his fine new ship, the Revenge, there was one who, knowing nothing ofnautical matters, was above all suspicion of nautical interferences, andwho, although having no authority, represented the most powerfulnautical commander in all those seas.
Kate Bonnet: The Romance of a Pirate's Daughter Page 19