rd England, you've got me now. But go easy like, will yer? I
always was a friend o' yourn."

"Yer didn't look like a friend on th' old _Jamaica_, when you refused
to pay me my wages," interrupted the first speaker. "Yer didn't remove
me to 'er cursed man-o'-warsman, did yer? Yer didn't see that I got
th' cat-o'-nine-tails on my back, did yer? Now, Mr. Skinner, it's my
chance ter get even. Tie him ter th' windlass, boys, and we'll fix th'
feller's hash."

With a jeering laugh the sailors seized the frightened man, roped him
tightly to the desired prop, and, procuring a lot of glass bottles,
pelted him with them until their arms were tired.

"You wuz a good master to me, Captain Skinner," cried one. "Now you're
gettin' a dose of your own medicine. Overboard with him, Boys."

And, suiting the action to the words, he seized him by the collar. The
ropes were unwound. The poor wretch was dragged to the rail, and, as
his body spun out into the oily sea, a shot ended the life of poor
Thomas Skinner of the _Cadogan_ from Bristol. Captain Edward England
and his men had had a sweet and sure revenge.

Where this reckless mariner was born, it is difficult to ascertain.
We know that he started life honestly enough, for he was mate of a
sloop that sailed from Jamaica, about the year 1715, and was taken by
a pirate called Captain Winter. The youthful sailor soon took up the
careless ways of his captors, and it was not many years before he
became Captain of his own vessel: a sloop flying the black flag with a
skull and cross-bones.

Off the east coast of Africa he soon took a ship called the _Pearl_,
for which he exchanged his own sloop, fitting the new vessel up for
piratical service, after rechristening her the _Royal James_. Cruising
about in this staunch craft, he captured several ships of different
sizes and flying the flags of many nations. He was rich and
prosperous.

"Captain," said one of his reckless followers, at this time,
"man-o'-warsmen are gettin' too thick in these parts for an honest
sailor. Let's get across th' pond to th' Brazilian coast."

"You're quite right," answered England. "We've got to look for other
pickings. After we provision-up, we'll sail towards th' setting sun.
That's a fresh field and we can have it to ourselves."

So all made ready for a trans-Atlantic voyage.

But Captain England was in error when he said that he was sailing for
fields which had never before been touched. Two other pirati