r on the tavern green. Among
those selected were several of Captain Jonathan Wellsby's sailors who
were primed to fight even though there was not much flesh on their
bones. He himself was a forlorn mariner who had lost his good ship and
found no joy in life. With a grim smile of gratitude he accepted the
invitation to go as master of the _King George_, with Colonel Stuart as
a sea soldier to drill the men and lead them in action.

It was while they were slinging guns aboard the brigantine that some of
the men happened to notice a small boat coming into the harbor under a
rag of sail. At first it was taken for a fishing craft and there was no
comment until it was quite close. Then they saw that it was a ship's
jolly-boat much the worse for wear, with only two occupants. These were
half-naked lads, burned black to the waist, with a queer kind of canvas
head-gear as a protection against the sun.

The boat was steered to pass under the stern of the _King George_ and
the crew was unable to fathom if these were pirates or victims of
another shipwreck. Captain Wellsby solved it by shouting:

"Both your guesses are right! One is the pirate younker that served our
cause in the _Plymouth Adventure_ and t'other is Master Jack Cockrell!"

One of the Charles Town volunteers heard only the word _pirate_ and
growled, with an oath:

"One o' Blackbeard's spawn? We'll make precious short work of him. Hand
me a musket and I will save trouble for the hangman."

"Here, stop that," said Captain Wellsby, beckoning his own men. "You old
_Adventure_ hands know better. Quell these lubbers. If there's to be
hostile feeling ashore I shall take this lad aboard under my own
protection."

During this argument the sea-worn pilgrims in the jolly-boat had
recognized the shipmaster and were joyfully yelling at him. In response
to his gesture, they pulled down the sail and rowed to the gangway of
the brigantine. There was no need to fear the wrath of the Charles Town
seamen, because the _Adventure_ hands stood by as a guard while they
explained how this young Joe Hawkridge had valiantly helped to turn the
tide of battle against the prize crew of pirates. And there was such a
rousing welcome for Master Cockrell that all else was forgotten. His old
shipmates fairly mobbed him.

"I will fire a gun and hoist all the bunting to signal the town," cried
the skipper, his face shining. "And presently I'll send you to the wharf
in my own boat, but first te