o down to his cabin and cover up his head with his
blanket until all this commotion should be over; the daughter sobbed as
she gazed about her, taking in every point of this most novel situation;
and the mother, with dilated nostrils, still glared.

In the midst of all this varying disturbance Captain Marchand stood
quiet and unmoved, apparently paying no attention to any one except his
old neighbour and fellow-vestryman, Stede Bonnet, upon whose face his
eyes were steadily fixed.

Ben Greenway now approached the pirate captain and led him aside.

"Let your men make awa' wi' the cargo as they please--I doubt if it be
more than odds an' ends, for such are the goods they bring to
Bridgetown--an' let them cast off an' go their way, an' ye an' I will
return to Bridgetown in the Amanda an' a' may yet be weel, this bit o'
folly bein' forgotten."

It might have been supposed that Bonnet would have retaliated upon the
Scotchman for thus advising him, in the very moment of triumph, to give
up his piratical career and to go home quietly to his plantation, but,
instead of that, he paused for a moment's reflection.

"Ben Greenway," said he, "there is good sense in what you say. In truth,
I cannot bring myself to put to death my old friend and neighbour and
his helpless passengers. As for the ship, it will do me no more good
burned than unburned. And there is another thing, Ben Greenway, which I
would fain do, and it just came into my mind. I will write a letter to
my wife and one to my daughter Kate. There is much which I wish them to
know and which I have not yet been able to communicate. I will allow the
Amanda to go on her way and I will send these two letters by her
captain. They shall be ready presently, and you, Ben, stand by these
people and see that no harm comes to them."

At this moment there were loud shouts and laughter from below, and
Captain Marchand came forward.

"Friend Bonnet," he said, "your men have discovered my store of spirits;
in a short time they will be drunk, and it will then be unsafe for
these, my passengers. Bid them, I pray you, to convey the liquors
aboard your ship."

"Well said!" cried Bonnet. "I would not lose those spirits." And,
stepping forward, he spoke to Big Sam, who had just appeared on deck,
and ordered the casks to be conveyed on board the Revenge.

The latter laughed, but said: "Ay, ay, sir!"

Returning to Captain Marchand, Bonnet said: "I will now step on board my
ship and w