heart to
follow. She sat down on the boatswain's chair--which, was simply a bit
of wood held like the seat of a swing in a triangle of rope--made the
sign of the cross, and waved her hand. She was hauled ashore in an
instant with nothing worse to complain of than a drenching by the waves.
By Hornigold's direction she walked past him toward the clump of palms
which Morgan had indicated.

One after another of the women were sent forward until the whole party
was ashore. Then the Spanish priests took their turn, and after these
reached the sand the rest of the crew were sent ashore. Morgan was
careful to indicate each one's turn, so that he preserved a balance
between the more reputable and the more degraded members of the crew,
both on ship and shore. Among the last to go were the maroon and de
Lussan, each armed as Hornigold had been. They had both received
instructions, one to station himself at the palm tree, the other to
cover the hawser where it ran along the shore before it entered the
water. These precautionary orders which he had given were necessary,
for when the last man had been hauled ashore and Morgan stepped into the
chair for his turn, one of the infuriated buccaneers, watching his
chance, seized his jack-knife, the only weapon that he had, for Morgan
had been careful to make the men leave their arms on the ship, and made
a rush for the rope to cut it and leave the captain to his fate. But de
Lussan shot him dead, and before the others could make a move Morgan
stepped safely on the sand.

"That was well done," he cried, turning to the Frenchman.

"Ah, mon capitaine," answered the other, "it was not from affection, but
because you are necessary to us."

"Whatever it may be," returned the old man, "I owe much to you and
scuttle me, I'll not forget it."

The Frenchman, indifferent to Morgan's expressions of gratitude,
shrugged his shoulders, turned away, and made no reply.

The transportation of so many people across the slender line had taken a
long time. The sun, just beginning to break through the riven clouds,
was near its setting; night would soon be upon them. They must hurry
with what was yet to be done. Morgan sent Teach and the Brazilian back
to the ship with instructions to gather up enough weapons to arm the
crew and to send them ashore. This was promptly done. Indeed,
communication was not difficult now that the force of the gale was
abating. The ship had been badly battered but still held t