ere till I came. After some
time, I came thither dressed in my new habit; and now I was called
governor again. Being all met, and the captain with me, I caused the men
to be brought before me, and I told them I had got a full account of
their villainous behaviour to the captain, and how they had run away with
the ship, and were preparing to commit further robberies, but that
Providence had ensnared them in their own ways, and that they were fallen
into the pit which they had dug for others. I let them know that by my
direction the ship had been seized; that she lay now in the road; and
they might see by-and-by that their new captain had received the reward
of his villainy, and that they would see him hanging at the yard-arm;
that, as to them, I wanted to know what they had to say why I should not
execute them as pirates taken in the fact, as by my commission they could
not doubt but I had authority so to do.

One of them answered in the name of the rest, that they had nothing to
say but this, that when they were taken the captain promised them their
lives, and they humbly implored my mercy. But I told them I knew not
what mercy to show them; for as for myself, I had resolved to quit the
island with all my men, and had taken passage with the captain to go to
England; and as for the captain, he could not carry them to England other
than as prisoners in irons, to be tried for mutiny and running away with
the ship; the consequence of which, they must needs know, would be the
gallows; so that I could not tell what was best for them, unless they had
a mind to take their fate in the island. If they desired that, as I had
liberty to leave the island, I had some inclination to give them their
lives, if they thought they could shift on shore. They seemed very
thankful for it, and said they would much rather venture to stay there
than be carried to England to be hanged. So I left it on that issue.

However, the captain seemed to make some difficulty of it, as if he durst
not leave them there. Upon this I seemed a little angry with the
captain, and told him that they were my prisoners, not his; and that
seeing I had offered them so much favour, I would be as good as my word;
and that if he did not think fit to consent to it I would set them at
liberty, as I found them: and if he did not like it he might take them
again if he could catch them. Upon this they appeared very thankful, and
I accordingly set them at liberty, and