t he
could best show his regard for me by leaving the ship without further
words.

We quitted my cabin together, and just outside we met Captain Leach,
whom I had noticed repeatedly for the last half-hour, and never very far
away from me. He came directly towards Mr. White and me, but he did not
so much as glance at the box that Mr. White held, but spoke to me.

"I came upon Mistress Pamela Boon's account," said he. "The women are
ready to quit the ship, and Mistress Ann is yet in a dead swoon."

"I will go to them," said I; and then turning to Mr. White, I said, very
seriously, "Remember!"

He did not answer, but bowed his head, and I turned and left him,
Captain Leach following close behind me. He did not enter with me into
the great cabin, but waited without, and when I came out a few minutes
later I saw that he was gone.

I found the ladies waiting in the cabin, each with a bundle tied up in a
kerchief. The waiting-woman lay upon the floor, still in a swoon, with
Mistress Pamela kneeling beside her, chafing and slapping her hands,
whilst Mrs. Evans sat at the table with her face buried in her palms. So
soon as I entered Mistress Pamela arose.

"Sir," said she, "Captain Leach told me he would inform you that we were
ready."

"So he did, madam," said I, "and I am come to help you embark."

As there was no sign of the waiting-woman's revival from her fit, I was
constrained to carry her upon the deck, as I had already done from
below.

The boat under command of Mr. White was already gone, for it had taken
several minutes for me to bring the women upon deck. We stowed them into
the long-boat, and it pushed off immediately and was lost in the smoke.
We then brought up the rest of the wounded from below, who were those
who had been most desperately hurt in the action. These we laid upon the
deck, so as to be in readiness for lowering into the boats so soon as
they should return. In the mean time I had given orders to those not
thus occupied with the wounded to load many of the guns, with
slow-matches in the breeches to burn from five to ten minutes. Thus the
firing might be kept up after all had left the ship, whereby we hoped
that the pirates would be stayed a while from boarding and so discover
our absence. In about ten minutes the gig returned without Mr. White,
and the master's mate, who was in command in his stead, said that he had
remained ashore with the women, as I had commanded him. In a very little
wh