ll cleared. One
could see the negro now; he sat on a barrel at the end of the room.
He grinned with his white teeth and, without stopping in his fiddling,
scraped his bow harshly across the strings, and then instantly changed
the tune to a lively jig. Blackbeard jumped up into the air and clapped
his heels together, giving, as he did so, a sharp, short yell. Then
he began instantly dancing grotesquely and violently. The woman danced
opposite to him, this way and that, with her knuckles on her hips.
Everybody burst out laughing at Blackbeard's grotesque antics. They
laughed again and again, clapping their hands, and the negro scraped
away on his fiddle like fury. The woman's hair came tumbling down her
back. She tucked it back, laughing and panting, and the sweat ran down
her face. She danced and danced. At last she burst out laughing and
stopped, panting. Blackbeard again jumped up in the air and clapped his
heels. Again he yelled, and as he did so, he struck his heels upon the
floor and spun around. Once more everybody burst out laughing, clapping
their hands, and the negro stopped fiddling.

Near by was a shanty or cabin where they were selling spirits, and by
and by Blackbeard went there with the New York captain, and presently
they began drinking again. "Hi, Captain!" called one of the men,
"Maynard's out yonder in the inlet. Jack Bishop's just come across from
t'other side. He says Mr. Maynard hailed him and asked for a pilot to
fetch him in."

"Well, here's luck to him, and he can't come in quick enough for me!"
cried out Blackbeard in his hoarse, husky voice.

"Well, Captain," called a voice, "will ye fight him to-morrow?"

"Aye," shouted the pirate, "if he can get in to me, I'll try to give
'em what they seek, and all they want of it into the bargain. As for
a pilot, I tell ye what 'tis--if any man hereabouts goes out there to
pilot that villain in 'twill be the worst day's work he ever did in all
of his life. 'Twon't be fit for him to live in these parts of America if
I am living here at the same time." There was a burst of laughter.

"Give us a toast, Captain! Give us something to drink to! Aye, Captain,
a toast! A toast!" a half dozen voices were calling out at the same
time.

"Well," cried out the pirate captain, "here's to a good, hot fight
to-morrow, and the best dog on top! 'Twill be, Bang! bang!--this way!"

He began pulling a pistol out of his pocket, but it stuck in the lining,
and he struggled