Ben Greenway,
disappeared below.

"Confound women passengers," said Bonnet to himself; "that is truly a
bit of bad luck."

In a few minutes Marchand was back, bringing with him a middle-aged and
somewhat pudgy woman, very pale; a younger woman of exceeding plainness,
and sobbing steadfastly; and also an elderly man, evidently an invalid,
and wearing a long dressing-gown.

"These," said Captain Marchand, "are Master and Madam Ballinger and
daughter, of York in England, who have been sojourning in Jamaica for
the health of the gentleman, but are now sailing with me to Barbadoes,
hoping the air of our good island may be more salubrious for the lungs."

Captain Bonnet had never been in the habit of speaking loudly before
ladies, but he now felt that he must stand by his character.

"You cannot have heard," he almost shouted, "that I am the pirate
Bonnet, and that your vessel is now my prize."

At this the two ladies began to scream vigorously, and the form of the
gentleman trembled to such a degree that his cane beat a tattoo upon the
deck.

"Yes," continued Bonnet, "when my men have stripped this ship of its
valuables I shall burn her to the water's edge, and, having removed you
to my vessel, I shall shortly make you walk the plank."

Here the younger lady began to stiffen herself out as if she were about
to faint in the arms of Captain Marchand, who had suddenly seized her;
but her great curiosity to hear more kept her still conscious. Mrs.
Ballinger grew very red in the face.

"That cannot be," she cried; "you may do what you please with our
belongings and with Captain Marchand's ship, but my husband is too sick
a man to walk a plank. You have not noticed, perchance, that his legs
are so feeble that he could scarce mount from the cabin to the deck. It
would be impossible for him to walk a plank; and as for my daughter and
myself, we know nothing about such a thing, and could not, out of sheer
ignorance."

For a moment a shadow of perplexity fell upon Captain Bonnet's face. He
could readily perceive that the infirm Mr. Ballinger could not walk a
plank, or even mount one, unless some one went with him to assist him,
and as to his wife, she was evidently a termagant; and, having sailed
his ship and floated his Jolly Roger in order to get rid of one
termagant, he was greatly annoyed at being brought thus, face to face,
with another. He stood for a moment silent. The old gentleman looked as
if he would like to g