illa. 2 Rolls Blue Cloth of Peru. 1 Packet
Bezoar Stones.

"May ye 24--A Poor Shippe. 3 Bars of Silver. 1
Case Cordial Waters. A Golden Candle-stick. My
share by Lot afore ye Mast."

Joe Hawkridge could neither read nor write but he had ready knowledge
of the meaning of these entries and he cried excitedly:

"Say the name again, Jack. Bill Saxby, His Share. Strike me blind, but I
was chums with Bill when we lay off Honduras. As decent a lad as ever
went a-piratin'! A heart of oak is Bill, hailin' from London town."

"But what of the riddle?" impatiently demanded Jack. "Whence this Indian
pirogue? And where is Bill Saxby?"

"He sailed with Stede Bonnet, bless ye," answered Joe. "These two men we
spied in the canoe last night were no Indians. _They were Cap'n Bonnet's
men._ Indians would ha' hid the pirogue more craftily."

"But they came not along the coast. Did they drop down this creek from
somewhere inland?"

"There you put me in stays," confessed Joe. "One thing I can swear. They
were sent to look for Blackbeard's ships. And I sore mistrust they were
caught whilst prowling near the camp. Else they would ha' come back to
the canoe before day."

CHAPTER VIII

THE EPISODE OF THE WINDING CREEK

THE singular discovery of Bill Saxby's jacket was like a shock to drive
all else out of their minds. Now they found that it had been thrown over
a jug of water and a bag of beef and biscuit stowed in the bow. This
solved one pressing problem, and they nibbled the hard ration while
debating the situation. It was agreed that they could not honorably run
away with the pirogue if it really belonged to Stede Bonnet's men, who
must have come on foot along the higher ground back of the coast and
descended the creek in the canoe stolen or purchased from Indians met by
chance.

Granted this much, it was fair to conjecture that Captain Bonnet's ship
was in some harbor not many leagues distant and that he knew where to
find Blackbeard's rendezvous, at Cherokee Inlet.

"'Tis your job to stand by the pirogue, Jack," suggested Hawkridge, "and
I will make a sally toward the pirates' camp afore they rouse out."

"Go softly, Joe, and don't be reckless. Why not lie up till night before
you reconnoitre?"

"'Cause the mist still hangs heavy and I'm blowed if I dilly-dally if
good Bill Saxby has come to grief."

"Supposing he has, you cannot wrest him single-handed from