taffrail and peered over the stern. A boat
was towing behind the ship. It had been left there for taking soundings
or pulling the brig's head around while she was still in the shoaler
waters near the coast. This was better than Joe had dared anticipate.
Feeling his way along the rail, he found the end of the rope which was
belayed around a wooden pin. Heaven be praised, they would not have to
swim for it! He beckoned his comrade to say in his ear:

"They will soon find their wits. It 'ud be foolish to try scaring 'em
under hatches now that the jolly-boat floats so handy. There's hard
cases amongst 'em that will begin shooting at us presently. Down the
rope ye go, Jack. I'll stand by and give 'em another dose of poor Jesse
Strawn."

Over the rail flew the stouter phantom of the two and slid like a white
streak, fetching up in the boat with a most earthly and substantial
thump. With a farewell wail the other ghost flung a limber leg over and
shot down so fast that his hands were scorched. To such pirates as
beheld this instant vanishment, these disturbing spirits floated off
into space. Jack cut the rope with his knife and the boat dropped back
in the shining wake. They shoved out two heavy oars and fairly broke
their hearts in pulling dead into the wind where the brig would have to
tack to pursue them.

The rattle of the oars and the discovery of the shorn rope's end must
have convinced the pirates who ran aft that they had been tricked by
mortal beings like themselves. A musket spat a red streak of fire.
Blocks whined as the braces were hauled to change the brig's course. In
the light breeze she responded awkwardly and soon hung in stays.
Meanwhile the jolly-boat was slowly working to windward while two
frightened lads tugged and swung until the flour turned to paste on
their dripping faces.

Before the brig began to forge ahead, the boat was invisible from her
decks. This was evident because the spatter of musket-fire ceased. Soon
the fugitives heard Blackbeard's harsh voice damning all hands. That
thick skull of his had not been cracked by the impact of the solid
cheese and he had been released from his brimstone inferno. The ghosts
rested on their oars. They could watch the glimmering canvas of the brig
and see what her procedure might be. Soon she filled away and forsook
the attempt to find the boat. Blackbeard had wisdom enough to avoid
blundering about and putting the brig aground in a chase so elusive as
th