anybody that's willing to make five pound for such a little
bit of piloting as that."

After the boatswain had gone ashore the loungers still stood on the
wharf, looking down into the boat, and began talking to one another
for the men below to hear them. "They're coming in," said one, "to
blow poor Blackbeard out of the water." "Aye," said another, "he's so
peaceable, too, he is; he'll just lay still and let 'em blow and blow,
he will." "There's a young fellow there," said another of the men; "he
don't look fit to die yet, he don't. Why, I wouldn't be in his place
for a thousand pound." "I do suppose Blackbeard's so afraid he don't
know how to see," said the first speaker.

At last one of the men in the boat spoke up. "Maybe he don't know how
to see," said he, "but maybe we'll blow some daylight into him afore
we get through with him."

Some more of the settlers had come out from the shore to the end of
the wharf, and there was now quite a crowd gathering there, all
looking at the men in the boat. "What do them Virginny 'baccy-eaters
do down here in Caroliny, anyway?" said one of the newcomers. "They've
got no call to be down here in North Caroliny waters."

"Maybe you can keep us away from coming, and maybe you can't," said a
voice from the boat.

"Why," answered the man on the wharf, "we could keep you away easy
enough, but you ben't worth the trouble, and that's the truth."

There was a heavy iron bolt lying near the edge of the landing. One of
the men upon the wharf slyly thrust it out with the end of his foot.
It hung for a moment and then fell into the boat below with a crash.
"What d'ye mean by that?" roared the man in charge of the boat. "What
d'ye mean, ye villains? D'ye mean to stave a hole in us?"

"Why," said the man who had pushed it, "you saw 'twasn't done a
purpose, didn't you?"

"Well, you try it again, and somebody 'll get hurt," said the man in
the boat, showing the butt end of his pistol.

The men on the wharf began laughing. Just then the boatswain came down
from the settlement again, and out along the landing. The threatened
turbulence quieted as he approached, and the crowd moved sullenly
aside to let him pass. He did not bring any pilot with him, and he
jumped down into the stern of the boat, saying, briefly, "Push off."
The crowd of loungers stood looking after them as they rowed away, and
when the boat was some distance from the landing they burst out into a
volley of derisive yells.