for he was resolved, either by fair or foul means to
have the vessel. Captain Tucker, having read the letter, sent for the
masters of vessels then lying in the bay, and told them, after he had
shown the letter, that if they would make him up 54 men, (for there
were about ten Bermuda sloops,) he would go out and fight the pirates.
They said no, they would not hazard their men, they depended on their
sailing, and every one must take care of himself as well as he could.

[Illustration: _The Pirate Banister, hanging at the Yard Arm._]

However, they all put to sea together, and spied a sail under the land,
which had a breeze while they lay becalmed. Some said he was a turtler;
others, the pirate, and so it proved; for it was honest Captain Lewis,
who putting out his oars, got in among them. Some of the sloops had four
guns, some two, some none. Joseph Dill had two, which he brought on one
side, and fired smartly at the pirate, but unfortunately one of them
split, and killed three men. Tucker called to all the sloops to send him
men, and he would fight Lewis, but to no purpose; nobody came on board
him. In the mean while a breeze sprung up, and Tucker, trimming his
sails, left them, who all fell a prey to the pirate; into whom, however,
he fired a broadside at going off. One sloop, whose master I will not
name, was a very good sailer, and was going off; but Lewis firing a
shot, brought her to, and he lay by till all the sloops were visited and
secured. Then Lewis sent on board him, and ordered the master into his
sloop. As soon as he was on board, he asked the reason of his lying by,
and betraying the trust his owners had reposed in him, which was doing
like a knave and coward, and he would punish him accordingly; _for_,
said he, _you might have got off, being so much a better sailer than my
vessel_. After this speech, he fell upon him with a rope's end, and then
snatching up his cane, drove him about the decks without mercy. The
master, thinking to pacify him, told him he had been out trading in that
sloop several months, and had on board a good quantity of money, which
was hid, and which, if he would send on board a black belonging to the
owners, he would discover to him. This had not the desired effect, but
one quite contrary; for Lewis told him he was a rascal and villain for
this discovery, and he would pay him for betraying his owners, and
redoubled his strokes. However, he sent and took the money and negro,
who was an