heard from him every week, and he gave excellent reports of the
plantations. I asked her whether anything had been heard of Vetch,
and whether any vessel conveying her produce from Dry Harbor had
been molested by the buccaneers. She said she had no news of either
the one or the other, and I inclined to believe that Vetch had
accepted his defeat and vanished out of her life for ever. When I
told her of the commission intrusted to me by Mr. Benbow she looked
a little troubled, and besought me to have a care of myself--a
departure from her former indifference that surprised me. I could
only answer that I would not court danger, and that as for taking
care of myself I must do my duty and leave the rest to Providence.

Long afterwards I learned that she sent privately for Joe Punchard,
and extorted from him a solemn promise that he would watch over me
day and night, see that I did not take a chill or expose myself to
danger, and bring me back unscathed, on pain of her lasting
displeasure.

"I had to promise," said Joe when I taxed him with it. "I couldn't
help it. I would ha' sworn black was white, the mistress have got
that way with her. Thinks I to myself, 'Mr. Bold beant a baby, nor
I beant a nurse; but I'll commit black perjury to make her happy,'
and so I would, sir."

And having taken my leave of her, and of Mr. Benbow, and Cludde,
and other my friends, I left the harbor in a boat at sunset on
October twelfth and joined the brig off Bull Bay, where she had
lain awaiting me.

Chapter 31: The Cockpit.

The brig, whose name was the Tartar (a very fitting name for one
that had been a privateer) was manned with thirty able seamen whom
I had myself been permitted to pick from the man-of-war's men in
the harbor. As lieutenant I had a quartermaster named Fincham, a
very excellent officer. We sailed with a fair wind until we reached
Port Antonio on the northeast side of the island, but then the wind
fell contrary, and we had to beat up along the north coast at a
creeping pace that vexed me sorely.

We did not expect to have any news of the buccaneers until we had
fetched past Orange Bay, but from thence onwards I knew that we
should have to search every inlet save those that had an anchorage
for large vessels; and our slow progress was the more vexing
because I feared that the buccaneers might get wind of Mr. Benbow's
return and sheer off. I hoped they would not do this, for I was
burning to justify the admiral's