tlemen,
a word with ye!" calling them apart while the rest were being served.
"Put the boldest men in the stern sheets with yourselves, the rest at
the oars, and do you have your weapons ready. The _Mary Rose_ lies just
within the bar. You, Velsers and Rock, gain the fo'c'sl from larboard
and starboard. You, Teach and Raveneau, board at the different gangways.
Hornigold, I'll go in your boat and we'll attend to the cabin. Let all
be done without noise. No pistols, use the blade. Take no prisoners and
waste no time. If we gain the deck without difficulty, and I think we
can, clap to the hatch covers and we'll cut cable and get under way at
once."

The men had been embarking in the boats rather reluctantly as he spoke,
but presently all was ready. Finally Hornigold and then Morgan with the
maroon stepped into the last boat, first making sure there were no
stragglers left behind, and Morgan gave the command:

"Shove off!"

Sawkins, the bold spirit who had spoken before, presumed, in spite of
the commander's threat, to open his mouth again as the boats slowly left
the beach, rowing through the passage and up the harbor against the ebb
just beginning; he pulled the stroke oar in Hornigold's boat.

"Before I go further," he cried, "I want to know what ship we're goin'
aboard of."

"Ay!" came in a subdued roar from the men behind him, who only needed a
leader to back out of the enterprise, which, as it threatened to involve
fighting, began to seem not quite so much to their taste. "What ship?"

"The frigate," answered Hornigold shortly.

"What! The _Mary Rose_! The King's ship!" cried the men, ceasing to row.
In an instant Morgan's pistol was out. His motion was followed by
Hornigold and the maroon.

"Row, you dogs!" he cried fiercely.

The stroke oarsman hesitated, although the others tried to pick up the
stroke.

"I give you one minute, then I blow out your brains, pull out the plug
in this boat, and we'll all go to hell together," said Morgan
truculently to the recalcitrant men.

"Row, for your life's sake!" cried the man behind Sawkins, hitting him
in the back with the haft of the oar.

"It's the King's ship!"

"What do we care for the King?" said Morgan. "He is the law, and none of
us love the law. Two-thirds of her crew are drunk, t'other third are
ashore or sick. They are unprepared, asleep. There'll be naught but the
anchor watch. One sharp blow, and we have the frigate--then away. What
fear ye, lads?