t see that the
grappling irons are fast, and then get aboard. If any man offers to
resist you, shoot him down. Are you ready, Mr. Cringle?"

"Aye, aye, sir," said the gunner.

"Very well, then, be ready, men; we'll be aboard 'em in a minute or
two."

"There's less than a fathom of water here, sir," sang out Johnson from
the bows. As he spoke there was a sudden soft jar and jerk, then the
schooner was still. They were aground. "Push her off to the lee there!
Let go your sheets!" roared the boatswain from the wheel. "Push her off
to the lee." He spun the wheel around as he spoke. A half a dozen men
sprang up, seized the sweeps, and plunged them into the water. Others
ran to help them, but the sweeps only sank into the mud without moving
the schooner. The sails had fallen off and they were flapping and
thumping and clapping in the wind. Others of the crew had scrambled
to their feet and ran to help those at the sweeps. The lieutenant had
walked quickly aft again. They were very close now to the pirate sloop,
and suddenly some one hailed him from aboard of her. When he turned he
saw that there was a man standing up on the rail of the pirate sloop,
holding by the back stays. "Who are you?" he called, from the distance,
"and whence come you? What do you seek here? What d'ye mean, coming down
on us this way?"

The lieutenant heard somebody say, "That's Blackbeard hisself." And he
looked with great interest at the distant figure.

The pirate stood out boldly against the cloudy sky. Somebody seemed to
speak to him from behind. He turned his head and then he turned round
again. "We're only peaceful merchantmen!" he called out. "What authority
have you got to come down upon us this way? If you'll come aboard I'll
show you my papers and that we're only peaceful merchantmen."

"The villains!" said the lieutenant to the master, who stood beside
him. "They're peaceful merchantmen, are they! They look like peaceful
merchantmen, with four carronades and a long gun aboard!" Then he called
out across the water, "I'll come aboard with my schooner as soon as I
can push her off here."

"If you undertake to come aboard of me," called the pirate, "I'll shoot
into you. You've got no authority to board me, and I won't have you do
it. If you undertake it 'twill be at your own risk, for I'll neither ask
quarter of you nor give none."

"Very well," said the lieutenant, "if you choose to try that, you may do
as you please; for I'm coming a